Page 18 - April 2008 The Game

18 The Game, April 2008 Prominent
Hasting’s trainer Robbie Anderson wears the bells awarded for 25 years of CTHS service
BC’s Annual Award Winners Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Photos & Story by Jim Reynolds
1991 Sovereign award winner AVANT’S GOLD. Alan’s in uence on BC horseracing is evident in the long list of trainers and jockeys he has mentored including jockeys Chris Loseth and Jim Arnold and trainers Shauna Ferguson, Dennis Terry, Rick Kamps and Joe Walls.
Ole Nielsen’s Monashee was named Horse of the Year. The big gray mare won seven consecutive stake races in 2007 and retired to the breeding shed with career earnings of $712,370.
BC bred Horse of the Year was
Bob Cheema’s brilliant lly Danc-
ing Allstar, trained by Terry Jordan. Dancing Allstar was undefeated at Hastings last year, winning the 6 1⁄2 furlong Sadie Diamond Futurity in (2 y.o.) track record time of 1:15.3.
The Diamond Award of Excellence went to leading trainer Troy Taylor (46 wins). Taylor, a man of few words, was rumoured among those at the back of the room to have said “Thanks” when he received the award. To which a singular response is also appropriate, “Congratulations”
Mario Gutierrez was leading rider (134 wins); Fernando Perez leading apprentice Jockey (33 wins); and Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella leading Owners.
2007 Champion categories: 2-year- old Filly, Open & BC Division: Danc- ing Allstar; 2-year-old Male, Open Division: Royal Hudson; 2-year-old Male, Open & BC Bred: Star Pros- pector; 3-year-old Filly, Open: Alpine Garden; 3-year-old Filly, BC Bred: Napa; 3-year-old Male, Open: Sir Gallovic; 3-year-old Male, BC Bred: Ookashada; Older Female, Open: Monashee; Older Female, BC Bred: Starlite Strike; Older Male, Open: True Metropolitan; Older Male, BC Bred:
B R Remark; Champion Sprinter: B R Remark.
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By the time this paper reaches
the press there will be a new
website available for horsemen and aimed primarily at developing in- terest in horseracing for potential new investors. The site, horserac- ingbc.ca will provide complete and practical information for new horse owners, a bi-weekly on-line newslet- ter (articles and photos of interest and success), and a liaison and introduc- tion service to trainers and breeders. Designed to promote horseracing in both the Thoroughbred and Standard- bred industries it will offer a variety of services to owners, breeders, and trainers.
E
Industry Awards gives us a
Backstretch Person of the Year Doc Olson and his wife Bonnie
A super organizing team l. to r. Cristine Hong, Cristan Gossen, Jewel Kositsky
Canadian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame breeders Russ and Lois Bennett received the Thoroughbred Times award for best freshman sire Finality
The Gilbert Girls, Donna, Melissa Hayley
Great Canadian’s Ross McLeod and MLA Rich Coleman
chance to strut. We get to step out of barn clothes, put on our best bib and tucker and pat ourselves on the back. This year there were smiling faces, good food, free wine, and plenty of mantle-piece hardware to give away. The program was emceed by Canada’s premier racing announcer Dan Jukich, accompanied by the rich bass tones of handicapper Mike Heads.
While there were no surprises in the racehorse categories as memories and replays of the best and classiest of the year’s runners were announced there were a few less publicized awards
that got little press and should be mentioned rst. Certainly no lesser awards they represent the cornerstones of our game honouring the breed-
ers, mares, and stallions of the BC breeding industry and they rightly deserve kudos—here at any rate.
The trophy for breeding the Jack Diamond Futurity winner (Desert
Alf) went to Black Canyon Thorough- breds and the Sadie Diamond Futurity (Dancing Allstar) prize went to Bent Tree Farm who were also named leading breeder for 2007. Champion sire was Vying Victor, (55 winners
of $1,063,722 from 107 starts), the late Millennium Allstar was named champion two year old sire, and the Thoroughbred Times award for best freshman sire went to Russ and Lois Bennett’s Finality. Desert Mouse (dam of Spaghetti Mouse and Desert Alf) was named champion broodmare.
The other awards are now a matter of record and listed at the bottom of this column but a special mention here is reserved for the Backstretch Person of the Year. This award is presented to the person who has made a contribution
to the betterment of the backstretch environment and went to one of the most popular gures around the track, Dr. Don ‘Doc’ Olson. Doc retired this year due to health reasons and will be missed at his perch in the paddock. For his horsemanship and patience, this award was well given.
Hall of Fame inductees included retired jockey Mickey Walls and, in the long overdue category, trainer Alan May. May was, and still is, one of the best horsemen to train
at Exhibition Park/Hast- ings. In his long and outstanding career he trained some of British Columbia’s best horses and was leading trainer four times. His charges included 1980 Horse of the Year POLICE INSPEC- TOR, multiple stakes winners PALICA
Jennifer and Scott Hiebert of Bent Tree Farm leading breeder and Sadie Diamond Futurity Breeder
William Hiebert of Bent Tree Farm accepting the award for the 2007 BC Juvenile Sire, Millennium Allstar
Susan and Bill Stewart of Black Canyon Thoroughbreds received the award for Champion Broodmare, Desert Mouse and the award for the Jack Diamond Futurity
Dan Jukich and Hall of Fame inductee Alan May share a laugh
Terry Jordan trainer of Dancing Allstar, True Metropolitan, Star Prospector, Alpine Garden... did we miss any?
Amber and Candice VanOverschot enjoyed the evening
ach year the Thoroughbred
and
DETRIMENTAL, and
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