In the evening’s first of three stakes finals, worth $125,000 in purse money, early leaver Windsong Geant and driver Rick Zeron fired off a :26.3 opening quarter before coming under attack by the defending series champion and heavy 1-9 favourite San Pail and driver Randy Waples. Looking for his 10th win in a row, San Pail advanced from third down the backstretch and poked a head in front at the :55.1 half-mile mark before clearing to command.

As San Pail led the way to the next marker in 1:23.3, 6-1 second choice Mister Herbie launched a first over attack from fourth for the O’Brien Award winning driver-trainer duo of Jody Jamieson and Jeff Gillis.

San Pail led the field into the stretch with Mister Herbie looming to his outside. However, Mister Herbie continued to apply pressure to the trotting titan in a heated battled down the homestretch and nailed him right at the wire for the career-best victory. Windsong Geant finished third while Gillis trainee Frenchfrysnvinegar, the reigning Older Trotting Mare of the Year, finished fourth in rein to Keith Oliver.

The 1:51.3 winning time was just two-fifths of a second off the track and Canadian record, held by Mr Muscleman, Enough Talk and San Pail.

Mister Herbie paid $14.80 to win for the third time in four seasonal starts. He was a runner-up in the first round of the series and missed the second leg due to a quarter crack on his back right hoof.

“He was obviously much better tonight,” said Gillis following the win. “He was about 75 to 80 per cent healthy during the first leg because of his quarter crack, but we also discovered that he had an ulcer on his pallet, which we were able to treat. Coming into tonight, I knew he’d be better, but I didn’t know by how much. Judging by his performance, it’s safe to say he’s 100 per cent.

“I thought if we were at our best, we would be able to beat San Pail,” he continued. “Whether that day was tonight or later in the year, I wasn’t sure.”

George Peters, trainer and owner of the great Glorys Comet, was on hand to present the trophy to Mister Herbie’s winning connections. The Here Comes Herbie-Independent Lassie gelding, last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion, is owned by the Ontario partnership group of J Gillis G Stay of Hillsburgh and Mac Nichol of Burlington.

The career winner of 13 races now boasts earnings totalling $454,403.

“San Pail raced a huge race in my opinion and he got stung hard to get to the front,” said Gillis of his main competition. “I have nothing but absolute tremendous respect for the horse. We just got the better of him today and I’m sure he’ll get the better of us in the future. This race just went our way.”

“We can’t be disappointed by his performance,” commented Rod Hughes, trainer and co-owner of San Pail. “He got beat twice last year and bounced back. We have a long year to look forward to and I’m confident we’ll have a successful one.”

The outstanding broodmares B Cor Tamara, J CS Nathalie and Mystic Mistress are nominated in the Female Horse category.

Before embarking on her second career as a broodmare, B Cor Tamara enjoyed a productive racing career, earning more than $185,000. As a broodmare, the brown daughter of Dream Of Glory was the dam of 19 foals, including star trotter B Cor Pete, and granddam of two champion juveniles, Banker Hall and Broadway Hall. Her offspring have earned over $2.7 million — an average of $151,303 per starter. B Cor Pete, a winner of $893,076, was her most successful, and she also produced B Cor Timgo, a winner of $666,267 and Clarice Marie, a winner of $313,408, among many others.

J Cs Nathalie, owned by John Lamers of Ingersoll, Ontario, has produced two millionaires as a broodmare — pacing colt Dreamfair Vogel, and pacing mare Dreamfair Eternal. Dreamfair Vogel was a winner of 19 races and over $1.1 million with a mark of 1:49.3. Dreamfair Eternal, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2010, has won 53 races and over $2.4 million to date in her racing career. In all, from 13 foals her progeny have averaged $381,826 in earnings per starter.

Mystic Mistress has also established herself as a top broodmare in the sport, producing the winners of more than $3.8 million, including Mystician, the 2010 Metro Pace Champion and a winner of over $1.6 million, and Camystic, a proven sire and a winner of over $779,000 on the track. Mystic Mistress, now owned by Warrawee Farm, received the Standardbred Breeder and Owners Association’s award as Broodmare of the Year for 2011.

The Induction Ceremony will be hosted at the Mississauga Convention Centre on Thursday, August 16, 2012.

Mister Herbie didn’t disappoint as the 2-5 favourite in the Open Trot as he advanced first up down the backstretch and wore down pacesetter Windsong Geant to win in 1:53 flat by half a length.

Windsong Geant (Scott Zeron) fired to command ahead of another popular Gillis trainee, the O’Brien Award winning Frenchfrysnvinegar (Randy Waples), and carved out fractions of :27, :56.3, and 1:25.1 while Mister Herbie began to roll from fifth. The streaking trotter made it up alongside the leader as they entered the stretch and pushed ahead during the final eighth of a mile. Order By Roosevelt (Paul MacDonell) finished over three lengths back in third with Mr Web Page (Sylvain Filion) and Frenchfrysnvinegar rounding out the top five finishers.

Last year’s divisional Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion paid $2.30 to win for the second time this year and eighth time in a row for the ownership group of J Gillis G Stay of Hillsburgh, Ont. and Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont. The Here Comes Herbie-Independent Lassie gelding is now 12-for-26 in his career with $379,403 banked in purses.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)

Making his first start since December 26, Mister Herbie had an impressive qualifier without the trotting hopples on February 3 and he was flawless in his first start off the bench for trainer Jeff Gillis.

Jody Jamieson was in no hurry off the starting gate with Mister Herbie, who tucked into the four-hole while Order By Roosevelt sliced out an opening quarter in :27.3. Race favourite Frenchfrysnvinegar pocket pulled on the leader coming out of the opening turn, and in a matter of strides she was perched on the point.

Frenchfrysnvinegar led past the mid-way point in :56.1 before coming under pressure around the final turn from stable mate Mister Herbie. Not much separated those two at the three-quarter pole in 1:25.2, but Frenchfrysnvinegar couldn’t stay with Mister Herbie in the late stages. Last year’s OSS Super Final champ used a :28.1 final frame to win by 4-3/4 lengths over Order By Roosevelt, with third prize going to a rallying Windsong Geant.

Owned by J Gillis G Stay of Hillsburgh and Mac Nichol of Burlington, ON, Mister Herbie won for the 11th time in his career. The $25,000 payday bumped his lifetime earnings to $354,403.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)

The Jeff Gillis trainee unleashed a :26.3 final quarter to come storming home from the backfield and wear down pacesetter Brave Alex Semalu in 1:52 flat. Upfront Hoosierboy (Mario Baillargeon) finished three-quarters of a length behind in third.

Mystician paid $3.80 to win as the favourite. The Camluck-Mystic Mistress is now three-for-five on the year and has yet to miss the board for Gillis and co-owners Ken Henwood of Mississauga, Ont., Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., and Gerald Stay of Buffalo, New York.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)

The complete breakdown of the official voting appears below.

Pacers

Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer

American Jewel - 28
Economy Terror -17
Apogee Hanover - 10
Big McDeal - 3
Blue Star Beauty - 1
Class Of O Nine - 1
Legal Entity - 1

Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer

Warrawee Needy - 44
A Rocknroll Dance -15
Speed Again – 2

Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer

Monkey On My Wheel - 48
See You At Peelers - 12
Idyllic - 1

Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer

Up The Credit - 30
Betterthancheddar - 17
Roll With Joe - 8
Alsace Hanover - 2
Mystician - 2
No Vote - 2

Older Pacing Mare

Anndrovette - 33
Dreamfair Eternal - 24
Warrawee Koine - 2
Laughandbehappy - 1
Rebeka Bayama - 1

Older Pacing Horse

Foiled Again - 41
We Will See - 11
Art Professor - 4
Alexie Mattosie - 3
Lisagain - 1
St Elmo Hero - 1

Trotters

Two-Year-Old Filly Trotter

Check Me Out - 43
Circles - 8
Miss Paris - 7
Win Missy B - 2
Counter Pointe - 1

Two-Year-Old Colt Trotter

The Game Plan - 47
Possess The Will - 9
Uncle Peter - 3
Prestidigitator -1
No Vote - 1

Three-Year-Old Filly Trotter

China Pearls - 44
Cedar Dove - 13
Beatgoeson Hanover - 2
Lady Rainbow - 1
Magical Paige - 1

Three-Year-Old Colt Trotter

Daylon Magician - 55
Broad Bahn - 3
Chapter Seven - 1
Mister Herbie - 1
Whiskey Tax - 1

Older Trotting Mare

Frenchfrysnvinegar - 48
Action Broadway - 11
Kandor Hanover – 1
No Vote - 1

Older Trotting Horse

San Pail – 61

People Awards

O’Brien Award of Horsemanship

Keith Clark - 32
Marc Campbell - 15
Guy Gagnon - 11
No Vote - 3

Armstrong Breeder of the Year

Warrawee Farm - 43
Seelster Farms Inc. - 10
Glenn Van Camp -6
No Vote - 2

Driver of the Year

Jody Jamieson - 47
Randy Waples - 7
Scott Zeron - 7

Trainer of the Year

Jeff Gillis - 28
Tony O’Sullivan -10
Rene Allard - 8
Carl Jamieson - 3
Casie Coleman - 2
Richard Moreau - 2
Rod Hughes - 2
Ron Burke - 1
Jamie Copley - 1
Keith Clark - 1
Bob McIntosh - 1
David Menary - 1
No Vote - 1

Horse of the Year

San Pail – 56
Daylon Magician - 1
Monkey On My Wheel - 1
See You At Peelers - 1
Up The Credit - 1
No Vote - 1

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)

Warrawee Farm of Rockwood, ON had 31 starters who won 101 races and $2.4 million last season. Mystician, Warrawee Needy and Mister Herbie were all $100,000 + performers bred by Warrawee Farm.

Warrawee Needy earned the Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year title as a winner of nine races in 12 starts and $535,000 during his juvenile campaign. The E Dees Cam colt put together a six-race win streak druing June and July. He won seven Ontario Sires Stakes events including the OSS Super Final where he trounced his competition, cruising to a nine and three-quarter length victory.

Jody Jamieson, 35, of Moffat, ON, was voted Canada’s Driver of the Year following an exceptional season. Jamieson put together some career best numbers in 2011, leading all Canadian harness drivers with over $11.6 million in purse earnings. He made 468 trips to the winner’s circle, captured his second North America Cup and secured his second World Driving Championship title this season. Jamieson was the regular driver for four O’Brien winners: older trotting mare Frenchfrysnvinegar, three-year-old pacing filly Monkey On My Wheel, three-year-old pacing colt Up The Credit and two-year-old pacing colt Warrawee Needy.

The Trainer of the Year award went to first time nominee, Jeff Gillis, 34, of Hillsburgh, ON. He enjoyed an extremely productive year, conditioning 112 winners and training horses to over $3.8 million in purse money. His stable was led by the standout three-year-old pacing colt Mystician, a winner of $695,000 last season, Breeders Crown champion Frenchfrysnvinegar, who won an O’Brien trophy in the Older Trotting Mare category, Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Mister Herbie and top freshman pacing colt Speed Again.

San Pail was the unanimous choice as Canada’s Older Trotting Horse. The son of San Pellegrino, out of the Balanced Image mare Village Beauty, dominated Canadian harness racing last season. The fan favourite topped the charts for older trotting horses in North America with over $1.2 million in earnings and 14 wins in 16 races, highlighted by victories in every stakes event he competed in. He scored eleven of his wins and earned $934,920 in Canada, between Mohawk and Woodbine racetracks. His stakes wins included the elimination and final of the Glorys Comet, the Maple Leaf Trot, the Nat Ray, the Credit Winner, and the Allerage Farm Trot. His final moment of glory for 2011 came in the $602,340 Breeders Crown Open Trot at Woodbine on October 29. In this season- ending Championship, he took on a world class field, which included two European trotting stars, and trotted to an exciting and hard fought 1:51.4 neck victory.

Keith Clark, winner of the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship annually posts solid training and driving numbers. The 2011 season marked the sixth consecutive year that the Hall of Famer surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings as a trainer, while sending out 177 winners from his barn. On the driving side, he hit for 167 wins and eclipsed the $1 million marker for the seventh straight season. Clark was the leading trainer at three racetracks last year – Alberta Downs in Lacombe, AB, Northlands Park in Edmonton, AB and Fraser Downs in Surrey, BC. His driving talents are equally as impressive as he was also the leading driver at Alberta Downs in 2011.

American Jewel was honoured as the Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year. The daughter of American Ideal won eight of nine races and over $669,000. Three of her wins were on Canadian soil including a season’s best effort of 1:50.2 at Mohawk when she won the Shes A Great Lady Stake in World Record time.

Up The Credit was voted Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year following a stellar sophomore campaign which included eight victories and $1,118,953 in earnings. He scored his richest payday in the $1.5 million North America Cup, and also captured the Somebeachsomewhere in a career best 1:49, as well as a division of the Simcoe and The Diplomat Final.

Monkey On My Wheel won the O’Brien as Canada’s Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year. The daughter of Mach Three won seven races and over $816,000 last season. Her portfolio included three Ontario Sires Stakes wins and wins in the elimination and final of the Canadian Breeders Championship. On October 29, she scored her richest payday in winning the Breeders Crown Championship where she also turned in a career best 1:49.3 performance.

North America’s leading money making older pacing mare, Anndrovette took home the O’Brien in her division. Her 2011 season was highlighted by $747,338 in purse money and 11 victories which included the Betsy Ross, the Artiscape, the A Spring of Hope, an elimination of the Milton and elimination and final of the Breeders Crown.

Triple millionaire Foiled Again was voted Older Pacing Horse of the Year. He hit the board for 25 top-three finishes in 28 races and netted $1,400,937 this past season to top the charts in earnings for his division. He captured numerous stakes events on both sides of the border including the Molson Pace at The Raceway at Western Fair and an elimination of the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk Racetrack.

U.S.-based Check Me Out took the O’Brien trophy in the two-year-old trotting filly category. Check Me Out was North America’s leading money winning filly with $898,343 in earnings collected from 14 wins and two seconds. Her impressive resume boasted wins in the Reynolds, Tompkins, Merrie Annabelle, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Champlain, Breeders Crown and Matron.

The trophy for Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year went to The Game Plan. He enjoyed a profitable season which included eight wins and $490,300 in purse money, with wins in the elimination and final of the William Wellwood Stake and five Ontario Sires Stakes events. The Game Plan also topped his division in Ontario Sires Stakes earnings.

China Pearls took home the hardware for Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year. The sophomore filly posted eight wins and took home $511,905 in purse money in 2011. Highlights of her season were wins in the elimination and final of the Canadian Breeders Championship, the SBOA and the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final.

Daylon Magician was voted Canada’s top three-year-old trotting colt. The ultra consistent son of Kadabra won 11 of 17 races and $1,068,813. He topped the earnings charts and picked up seven wins in Ontario Sires Stakes action. He scored a career best 1:52.3 effort in the Canadian Breeders Championship which kicked off a seven race win streak and included wins in the elimination and final of the $1million Canadian Trotting Classic.

Frenchfrysnvinegar, Canada’s Older Trotting Mare of the Year, was a regular campaigner in Woodbine Entertainment circuit’s preferred mare ranks. Winning eight races and $351,825, she capped a productive season with a stirring victory in the Breeders Crown Championship despite starting from post position 10.

Winners in Standardbred Canada’s Media Excellence Awards categories were Lauren Lee for Outstanding Written Work for her “All Hail The Pail” article, Woodbine Entertainment Group for Outstanding Broadcast for its production of the 2011 Metro Pace and Canadian Pacing Derby, and Claus Andersen for his photo from a race bike at The Raceway at Western Fari District.

On Tuesday, January 31 Standardbred Canada will release the complete vote tallies for each category.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)

He’s worked tirelessly and passionately to produce some of the finest standardbred race horses in the nation, and for the first time ever, Wilson, a long-time breeder, is nominated for Canada’s Breeder of the Year honour at the O’Brien Awards, slated for Saturday evening at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

Wilson’s Warrawee Farm, which boasts 103 acres of land, is located in Rockwood, Ont. and is the home to 17 broodmares. His two headline broodmares are Mystic Mistress, the dam of Mystician ($1,573,942) and Great Memories, the mother of Warrawee Needy ($535,000), who is nominated for Canada’s 2011 two-year-old pacing colt of the year award.

“I was amazed,” Wilson said, in regard to his nomination. “I knew we had a good year, but I’m sure other breeders did, too. It’s a true honour to be thought of in this regard and be nominated.”

One of Wilson’s top two-year-olds in recent years is Warrawee Needy. The son of E Dees Cam won nine of 12 races during his rookie campaign and was the top Ontario Sires Stakes freshman pacing colt after having captured seven OSS events, including his $300,000 OSS Super Final, where he cruised to a nine-and-three-quarter-length victory.

Wilson recalled watching his homebred go through the auction (Warrawee Needy was an eventual $20,000 yearling purchase).

“He had three things against him,” Wilson said. “He was by an unpopular sire, he was a very big horse, some people thought he was too big, and he was selling as Hip No. 2 in the sale. The big plus for him was that he was a brother to Big Bay Point ($388,164) which would draw some attention.”

After Carl Jamieson purchased the colt, Wilson decided to keep a portion of his pupil.

Mystic Mistress is arguably one of Canada’s top broodmares. The 20-year-old has produced winners in excess of $3.8 million including Mystician, Camystic ($779,728) and Lucks Mistress ($616,605).

“She’s a very consistent mare to have,” Wilson said. “She has produced some very nice foals over her career and we’re lucky to have her. In fact, she’s overdue with another Camluck soon to be born.”

In 2011, Wilson’s Warrawee Farm sent out 31 starters that won 101 races and $2.4 million in purse earnings.

“That’s one thing I love about breeding horses. We teach them their early lessons and then watch them go on to bigger and better things. As a breeder, it’s all about anticipation. By the time we breed the mare, foal them and watch the babies grow, we have about four years of investment into them and four years of anticipation to see what they become. To me, that’s the ultimate satisfaction, hoping they become superstars.”

Come Saturday night, it might be Wilson, in search of not one, but two O’Brien Awards, who could be the star.

(courtesy WEG)

Greg Blanchard hosted the awards ceremonies which followed the keynote speaker, as the breeders behind the Ontario Sires Stakes top success stories of 2011 were honoured with trophies and framed racing photos, including Warrawee Needy, bred and co-owned by Warrawee Farm’s Dr. Mike Wilson.

Two particularly prestigious awards to individuals are presented annually at the SBOA Banquet and only unveiled that evening. This year, Dr. Mike Wilson won the Chris Van Bussel Award for service to SBOA and to the industry. The Lloyd Chisholm Award for meritorious service went to John Levy of The Score for his extraordinary media efforts to highlight harness racing.

Broodmare of the Year Awards, sponsored by Master Feeds, go annually to horses whose offspring have earned distinction not only in the OSS, but beyond. This year’s pacing Broodmare of the year was Warrawee Farm’s Mystic Mistress (Dexter Nukes–Pam Ryan), dam of the winners of over $3.8 million, including standouts Mystician and Camystic. Trotting Broodmare of the Year was Dave and Mary Lemon’s Daylon Marvel (Super Pleasure–Miss Marvel), whose production record is highlighted by their own $1.2-million earner Daylon Magician.

Randy Waples earned the Lampman Cup for the first time as top OSS driver and Bob McIntosh again took the Johnston Cup title as top trainer.

(courtesy SBOA)

With Rick Zeron at the controls, Mystician left smartly from Post 7 and worked out a pocket trip behind Camaes Fellow in the $40,000 tilt. Last year’s OSS Super Final winner whacked out fractions of :26, :55 and 1:23.2 before tiring and opening the rail as the field entered the stretch. Zeron jumped on the opportunity to shoot through at the pylons with Mystician, and the four-year-old son of Camluck-Mystic Mistress used a :28-second closing panel to win by a neck over Im Feelin Good, with race favourite Westwardho Hanover finishing third.

“I was real fortunate enough to catch Keith [Oliver] at the wire,” said Zeron. “He raced real well, but he is a real nice horse. I drove him and I was second in the Confederation Cup [at Flamboro Downs] last year so I knew the horse and it was nice to get back up and drive him again.”

“He seems stronger now than he was when I drove him last year in the summer time,” he added. “He is more determined to win because most horses when they are dropped off like that at the head of the stretch, they would have been happy to finish second. He didn’t, he really fought his way to victory. He has gotten stronger and smarter too.”

Trainer Jeff Gillis co-owns the 10-time winner with Ken Henwood, Mac Nichol and Gerald Stay. The $20,000 payday bumped the high profile pacer’s lifetime earnings to $1,548,942.

The $100,000 final of the Willowdale Series goes Saturday, January 21 at Woodbine Racetrack.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada & WEG)