Sylvia Hanover was crowned the Horse of the Year

Standardbred Canada announced the winners of the 2023 O’Brien Awards, honouring Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season, at the Black Tie Gala in Charlottetown, P.E.I. on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.

The event marked the 35th edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman from P.E.I. and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Sylvia Hanover was the evening’s headliner, as she was crowned the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year and was the winner of the Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly category. With the awards gala held in P.E.I., the Maritimes were well represented on stage all evening, highlighted by reinsman James MacDonald, who took home his third consecutive Keith Waples Driver of the Year award, and Dr. Ian Moore, who was recognized with his first Trainer of the Year title. Moore conditioned two 2023 O’Brien Award winners: Tattoo Artist who was named Older Pacing Horse of the Year, and Stockade Seelster, who won his second consecutive O’Brien Award, this time in the Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt category. The Maritime representation didn’t end there, as ‘Canada’s Pacing Queen,’ So Much More, bred in P.E.I., repeated as the Older Pacing Mare of the Year, marking her third win in this category.

Following a dominant freshman campaign, Sylvia Hanover returned just as strong, and perhaps even better, as a sophomore. The daughter of Always B Miki-Shyaway notched 10 wins in 13 starts at three, totalling $839,375 in earnings, and taking a record of 1:48.1 at The Red Mile for trainers Shawn and Mark Steacy. Her victories included wins in the Fan Hanover, Mistletoe Shalee and Glen Garnsey, prior to capping it all off with a score in the $600,000 Breeders Crown. Her outstanding sophomore campaign not only earned her Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly honours, she also took home the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year title as well.