Page 18 - Canada Spring 2021

Dunlap, runner-up to Jason Pascoe for High Point Trainer, was assisted on race day by Ontario horseman Greg Watson as Dunlap, who trains the horses in Michigan, was unable to come to Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Hats off to James Bogar and all the other committed and talented owners, trainers and jockeys at Ajax Downs,” said Crispi. “It was my time in 2020 and I recognize clearly, that with the talent at the track the last few years, while I will be competing hard with Tom, any one of many others could also win High Point Owner in 2021. That’s what makes it all so exciting.”
The board of directors of
the QROOI announced the champions of 2020 on March
5 and is presenting trophies
to winners and runners-up on
a personal basis as the annual awards ceremony and dinner could not take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Points are awarded to horses owned by QROOI members based on top four placings in all categories of races.
On Feb. 26 Fiesty Icon, owned and trained by Rick Kennedy, was named the 2020 Horse of the Year. The Ontario sired and bred gelding,
who turned nine-years-old in 2021 was also the High Point Aged Male with 39 QROOI points.
Ed Walton won his first High Point Jockey title in 2020, collecting 356 points with 35 victories in just 20 Ajax racing dates. Walton has been among the top riders in Quarter Horse racing for over 30 years, although he
was away from riding for 14 years prior to 2009.
In 2020, Walton partnered up with stakes stars such as champion Country Boy 123, Ecs Greys Anatomy, Twixt of Fate, Fiesty Icon and Hanover Hill Chalsee. He also entered the AQHA the record books as the rider of Carneros, who set a world record for 110 yards on June 16 of 6.770.
The horse with the most QROOI points of the 2020 season was the Ontario-bred 3-year-old filly One Kool Dynasty. Owned by Belinda Taggart and bred by William Taggart, One Kool Dynasty had a superb season with four wins from 10 races including the Princess Derby and 44 QROOI points.
One Kool Dynasty’s trainer Jason Pascoe won his second consecutive High Point Trainer title with 279 points from a meet-leading 23 wins. Pascoe’s
Hi-Point 2 Year Old & Hi-Point 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding HAD TO BE RELENTLESS
runners earned $380,932 and also included the 2020 High Point 2-year-old filly Streakinlilwagon, whom he also owns and bred with partner Byranne Langford, Sprint Series champion Carneros and Distance Series winner Spy for the Senate.
The 2020 racing season was a big one for Norm Picov’s Picov Cattle Company, the High
Point Leading Breeder (143 points) which bred Horse of the Year Fiesty Icon and bred and raced stakes winners Hanover
Hill Chalsee and Hanover Hill Theresa. The 58 Picov-bred starters earned $212,948 and finished in the top three 31 times. Chantelle Bourgeois won High Point Owner/Trainer with 64 points and her homebred Shake
It Twice from the Ontario Sires Stakes Maturity.
Carol and Jaime Robertson’s Ontario-bred Had to Be
Relentless was the year’s High Point 2-year-old colt or gelding with 27 points and owner/trainer Craig Spada’s Jess a Sweet Surprize led all aged mares with 20 points.
The 2021 racing season at Ajax Downs is set to begin Wednesday, May 12, the first of 25 scheduled dates.
Hi-Point 2-Year-Old Filly STREAKINLILWAGON
Hi-Point Jockey ED WALTON
18 SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2021
Clive Cohen
Clive Cohen
Clive Cohen