Bulldog Hanover Night At The O’Brien Awards
At 1h34, on February 5, 2023 • By STANDARDBRED CANADA
Standardbred Canada announced the winners of the 2022 O’Brien Awards, honouring Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season, at the Black-Tie Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. It was the 34th edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Bulldog Hanover stole the show, winning the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year title, taking the Older Pacing Horse division, and he was also honoured as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Cam Fella Award.
Richard Moreau added a record 10th O’Brien trophy to his mantle, with another Trainer of the Year title. In 2022, he topped the charts for all trainers in Canada with 330 wins and $5,254,296 in purse earnings. He was the leading trainer of 2022 at Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs and Woodbine Mohawk Park. Two of Moreau’s trainees also picked up O’Brien Awards — Gaines Hanover in the two-year-old trotting colt category and Fashion Frenzie in the Older Trotting Horse division.
Samuel Fillion, honoured as the Future Star winner, improved from 100 victories and $574,000 in purses in his first Future Star-nominated season in 2021 to 164 wins and more than $1.1 million in 2022.The Quebec native won the Quebec / Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship and was one of the leading drivers last seasons at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Sylvia Hanover won the O’Brien as the country’s top two-year-old pacing filly. The daughter of Always B Miki finished off her nine-start year with a record of 8-1-0, and $903,300 in the bank for trainer Shawn Steacy. Owned by Hudson Standardbred Stable of Quebec, her list of accomplishments included victories in the Champlain Stakes, Shes A Great Lady Final and the Breeders Crown Final, which were all held at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
In the Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt division, Gaines Hanover won the O’Brien Award. The son of Cantab Hall won four of eight starts last season and bankrolled $493,851 in earnings. The Richard Moreau trainee won the Champlain Stakes in September, but his biggest moment came when he captured the final of the Breeders Crown in October.
In the Older Trotting Horse category, Fashion Frenzie won the O’Brien after a season where he won seven of nine starts and more than $226,000 in purses for trainer Richard Moreau. Most of the victories for the son of Archangel were in Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Open Trot, with his notable stakes win coming at Georgian Downs where he won the Earl Rowe Memorial and set a new track record in the process.
