Standardbred Canada announced the winners of the 2024 O’Brien Awards, honouring Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season, at the Black Tie Gala on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 in Mississauga, Ont. The event marked the 36th edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman from Prince Edward Island and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Chantilly and her connections took centre stage at the 36th O'Brien Awards, as the Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year was also named the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year. She became just the fifth two-year-old — and only the third pacing filly — to be named Canada’s Horse of the Year, joining the likes of Emilie Cas El, Whenuwishuponastar, Somebeachsomewhere and JK Shesalady. Chantilly won the O’Brien Award as the country’s Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year. During her freshman season, she accomplished a perfect record of nine wins in nine starts for trainer Nick Gallucci. The homebred daughter of Big Jim -Shiraz Seelster recorded wins in an elimination and the final of the Shes A Great Lady Stakes and a division of the Eternal Camnation Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park, along with six OSS victories. Chantilly dominated her competition in the OSS Super Final, winning by 6-1/2 lengths and stopping the clock in 1:50.2, equalling her lifetime mark and concluding her perfect season with $761,000 in purse earnings. Her flawless freshman campaign earned her the honours of Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year and the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year title.

Pennant Seelster ($10.00) and Classic Sunny ($8.20) learned a lesson that sharing can be good as the pair finished in a dead heat in Buffalo Raceway's $12,329 Class B Trot on a perfect Friday afternoon (July 19). In the other $12,329 trotting division, Ricky B Sharp ($26.60) was able to grind out a first over trip and topped a hard charging Rough Tuff Tested by a length in 2:00. The $12,329 Class B Pace saw Born A Rebel ($3.50) run his win streak to three in a row with a coast to coast victory over Century Grizzly in 1:55.3. In the opener, Pennant Seelster ($10.00) had a brief bobble at the start and spotted the field a few lengths before driver James McNeight Jr. got him back on task. Meanwhile, Ideal Pack and Caviars Yankee played give and go to the opening quarter marker. With splits of :30.2, 1:01.1 and 1:31.2 posted, the real race was ready to start. With Ideal Pack (Kyle Swift) turning for home first, Caviars Yankee (Jim Morrill Jr.) attacked from the passing lane with Pennant Seelster and Classic Sunny (Kevin Cummings) both flying on the outside. It was a bang bang finish as a photo couldn't separate Pennant Seelster and Classic Sunny at the wire in a final time of 2:00.2. Ideal Pack managed to hold on for third. Pennant Seelster (Manofmanymissions-Papi Lavec) is owned by Rose Campbell and is trained by David Weston while Classic Sunny is co-owned by Anthony Alessi and Fred Yellen with Matthew Rosiek handling the conditioning duties. In the other trotting co-feature, the favoured BJs Smitty was able to cut the fractions with times of :29.3, :59.3 and 1:29.3. But the closers soon arrived on the scene and were able to cut into the margin. Ricky Be Sharp (Michael Baumeister) began his first over grind heading down the backstretch the final time and was able to reach the lead midway down the lane. Rough Tuff Tested (James McNeight Jr.) cut into the advantage but ran out of real estate and finished second. BJs Smitty (Cummings) was able to collect third place honours. Owned by Jennifer Signor and conditioned by Jacob Baumeister, the triumph was the third victory in 27 appearances for the eight-year-old Ricky Be Sharp (American Native-Cosmetize). The triumph increased his bankroll to $53,854 and $239,915 lifetime. Born A Rebel (McNeight Jr.) was able to retake the top early after Century Grizzly roared to the lead. The heavily favoured Born A Rebel notched fractions of :28.4, :58 and 1:27.3 and was bracing for any threats that were about to come his way. Nothing materialized as Born A Rebel was able to easily hold back Century Grizzly (Kevin Cummings) by a comfortable three quarter lengths while Bold Bet (Drew Monti) took the show position. Owned by David Del Pozzo and trained by Christopher Petrelli, the win was the fourth victory in nine attempts on the season for the five-year-old Born A Rebel (Betterthancheddar-Outlawed Beauty). The score moved his 2024 earnings to $25,246 and $119,746 lifetime. Live racing will conclude this weekend with a 10-race program slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday (July 20) while there are seven races set for Sunday with a special post time of noon. 

With a season’s best performance directly behind him, Spectrum Seelster will look for more on the Saturday, July 13 program at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. The Saturday card will commence at 4 p.m. with a 13-dash presentation on tap. Spectrum Seelster is the morning line favourite from post five in the eighth race, the Kenmac Energy Pace, sporting a $3,150 purse. Leading dash-winning driver David Dowling sits behind the 32-time winner for Red Shores Charlottetown's leading trainer Jennifer Doyle and owner Danny Birt. The eight-year-old son of Mach Three has five wins so far in 2024 but none of them faster than his last race when he prevailed in 1:54.2. Big Bad Bruiser (Corey MacPherson) has the outside post six while sporting a three-race win streak for owner-trainer Neil Bambrick of Charlottetown. Also in the field are JK Last Chance (Kenny Arsenault), Jewels Dragon (Marc Campbell), Tradition (Adam Merner) and Pictonian I Am (Ken Murphy). The Post Time Picks also likes Spectrum Seelster to win: “Spectrum Seelster has competed against the best in P.E.I. with successful results prior to that win at this optional $16,000 claiming level last week. He looked like a dominant winner last week so I'm putting him on top.” Race 6 is the Brent MacDougall Memorial with Cowboy Logic (Steven Shepherd) the top choice from post two for trainer Harold Shepherd.  JK Express (Campbell) gets top billing from post two in the fifth race, the P.E.I. Pride Festival Pace, for conditioner Jared Perrot.

Two-time O'Brien Award winner Stockade Seelster returned to action on Tuesday morning, July 2 in Woodbine Mohawk Park's opening qualifying race. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee, who was scratched from the first scheduled start of his four-year-old season in Miami Valley's Mindlin Memorial Invitational on May 4, returned with a 1:52.2 qualifying mile, finishing second by half a length to Hail Christian N. Driven by Jody Jamieson, Stockade Seelster led through fractions of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:25.3 then closed out his return appearance with a :26.4 final frame. Trained by Paul Thomas Court, Hail Christian N and Sylvain Filion prevailed from the pocket, with Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion Winmebak and James MacDonald closing in from third and finishing three-quarters of a length behind. Stockade Seelster won seven of 19 races last year and hit the board an additional eight times. The son of State Treasurer-Soiree Seelster earned $677,688 for owners Sally MacDonald and Paul MacDonald. His victories included a division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, the consolation for North America Cup and three Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions. He finished second to eventual U.S. Horse of the Year Confederate in the Breeders Crown and Max C. Hempt Memorial. For his career, Stockade Seelster has hit the board in 25 of 30 races, winning 15 and earning $1.59 million. In addition to his O’Brien honours, he received a Dan Patch Award as a two-year-old. Moore told Trot Insider that at this point he plans to give Stockade Seelster a solid training mile next Monday. If the stallion performs well there, Moore will enter Stockade Seelster to race at Mohawk next Saturday, July 13. The fastest mile of the morning session was clocked in 1:51.3 by Chain Gang, who looped into second down the backstretch and popped off the back of the pacesetting Fan Hanover Stakes winner Its A Love Thing (:30, :58.2, 1:25.3) approaching the final eighth to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Trevor Henry drove the three-year-old Bettors Delight-Duostep Hanover colt, who sprinted a :25.4 final quarter to take a new lifetime mark, for trainer Nick Gallucci and owner/breeder Millar Farms. A two-time OSS Gold winner as a freshman, Chain Gang has finished top-two in half of his 10 career starts while earning nearly $160,000. Monday's 12 qualifiers included eight baby races, with the Garry Merner-trained colt Zander winning the fastest pace in 1:57.1 following a qualifying debut at Vernon Downs two weeks ago. The Dali-Dream Police Woman colt led from start to finish with panels of :29.4, 1:01 and 1:30.1 capped by a :27 finale landing him 4-1/2 lengths in front of the debuting closer Wicked Ending and pocket pursuer Whats Your Limits. Sylvain Filion was in the bike for New York-based owner Joseph Ricco Jr. Exquisite Taste stood out among two-year-old trotters with a 14-length romp in 1:58.1 for trainer Eric Nadeau. After making breaks in her first two career starts at Mohawk, the Resolve-Ghost Glider filly cruised through fractions of :31.2, 1:00.4 and 1:29.1 en route to victory in rein to Louis-Philippe Roy, who shares ownership with Ecurie Csl. A replay of Woodbine's video stream, which starts after the first race, is available below.

The featured event on the Sunday night (June 30) harness racing program at Running Aces was the Ron Banks Memorial FFA Mares Pace Final, which boasted a very accomplished field of nine distaffers lining up behind the gate to battle it out for $47,945 in purse money. Illusion Seelster (State Treasurer) and driver Jacob Cutting did not escape the attention of the betting public after her sharp 1:51.1 score in last week’s elimination round and she was sent off as favourite at just over even money while Two Pistol Annie and driver James Kennedy were given a 3-1 chance by punters. Majors Miracle (Elson Miller) left very quickly from post seven and worked hard to take a brief lead near the :27.2 quarter mile before Cutting sent Illusion Seelster into action to take over the top just past the three-eighths mark and they were well settled on the lead at the :54.3 half mile checkpoint. Kennedy and Two Pistol Annie got rolling just before they headed down the backside and made steady progress toward the front while Racin For Royalty (Brady Jenson) and Premier Delight (Jeff Hunt) followed the cover flow. Illusion Seelester maintained full control around the far turn while registering three-panels in 1:22.1 and Two Pistol Annie was the closest pursuer as they swung for home. In the stretch drive it was clearly a two-horse race and Illusion Seelster ($4.20) dug in gamely as Two Pistol Annie surged near the wire to come up three-quarters of a length short of victory in the 1:51 mile, which equaled the track records for both four-year-old pacing mares as well as all-aged pacing mares. Rounding out the trifecta was 28-1 longshot Racin For Royalty. The winner is owned by Terrence Smith and is trained by current leading trainer Williams Hernandez. She now shows 11 career wins from 44 starts and has earnings of $208,964 to date. DP Freedoms Chrome (For You Almostfree) added another impressive win to his near perfect record with a dominating seven-length score in the $23,288 Minnesota-sired sophomore male ‘A’ trot in a career best 1:57.2 mile over Wherever Rio Goes and Bankers Quest. James Gould was the winning pilot for owner Aimes Racing and trainer Elvin Zimmerman. DP Freedoms Chrome ($2.10) now shows 13 wins from 14 career starts. Bankers Grace (Banker Volo) delivered a sharp performance in the $23,288 fillies ‘A’ split, drawing away from her rivals late to record a five length win and a new lifetime mark of 1:58 while Baby Flash was second best and Adira Disa checked in third. Rick Magee was the winning driver on Bankers Grace ($2.40) for owner/breeder Kennedy Roland and trainer Dan Roland. DM King Ridge (Tom Ridge) got up in the last stride to capture victory in the $11,644 sophomore ‘B’ trot in a career best 2:02.1 while a nose better than Spicymoneymaker and two lengths better than Onecallthatsall in third. Todd Warren was the winning pilot for owners Jay De Long and Stephanie Anfinson and trainer Justin Anfinson. The $2 win mutuel returned a hefty $37.00. Domovoy (Triumphant Caviar) did not disappoint his many backers as he posted a gate-to-wire tally for two-in-a-row in the $21,233 Open trot. Driver Luke Plano sent him from post seven to surge to the front of the field and take control near the :28.1 quarter mile pole. Once on top they held firm control throughout and drew away late for a 2-1/4 score over Grab Da Moni (Magee) and Winnerup (Roland) in the 1:54 mile. Domovoy ($2.60) now shows five wins from 13 seasonal starts. He is owned by Dave Dobbelmann and Tom Carney and is trained by Edwin Quevedo. Williams Hernandez led the Sunday program with three training wins while both Rick Magee and Jacob Cutting registered driving doubles. Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday night (July 2) for ‘Dollar Night’ with a nine-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).

The harness racing program on Thursday, May 30 at Running Aces was loaded with notable events, including the $21,233 Mares Open Handicap Pace, three divisions of the Minnesota-sired sophomore pace and two $9,589 divisions of the Burning Blaze Pacing Series. Illusion Seelster was the talk of the toteboard in the Mares Open, as she was sent off as the 4-5 public choice from post five in the nine-horse contest. Driver Jacob Cutting floated Illusion Seelster off the gate in sixth while Two Pistol Annie (James Kennedy) and Aint She Special (Luke Plano) both left from outside posts to take the front positions through early fractions of :27 and :56.2. Cutting tipped out near the half to follow cover behind Better Double Flip (Todd Warren) and those two quickly advanced past the leaders as the field headed into the far turn, with Better Double Flip making the top near the third checkpoint in 1:24.3. Illusion Seelster surged strongly as they rounded for the stretch drive and had forged past to take the lead at the top of the lane while Better Double Flip tried to respond and both Premier Delight and Graceful Horizon closed from the back of the field. Illusion Seelster remained strong in the final stages and paced clear to win by 2-3/4 lengths and stop the timer in 1:52.3 while Better Double Flip was a clear second best. The winner, paying $3.80 to win, is a four-year-old by State Treasurer-I C Maggie May and she now has four wins from 10 starts this year, with seasonal earnings of $42,800 for owner Terrence Smith. She is trained by Williams Hernandez. Reigning Minnesota Harness Racing Horse of the Year Apple Juice was back in action on Thursday in the $23,288 sophomore filly 'A' pace and she did not disappoint her fans and pari-mutuel backers, turning in a sharp performance to post her first win of the year. Cutting was the pilot behind Apple Juice and they wasted no time in asserting themselves to the lead while chief rival Deja Vu Babyboo (Nick Roland) was also fast off the car and secured the pocket. Those two dominated the affair and ultimately provided a great battle in the final sixteenth of a mile with Apple Juice holding her rival at bay by a half-length in 1:54.2 to equal her career best. Apple Juice ($3) now has nine wins from 16 career starts and earnings of $115,769 for owner/trainer/breeder Scott Banitt. Rocklikeahurricane (Todd Warren, $5.20) held gamely to win by neck over both Bapas Double Knot and Lovely Normajean in the $11,644 sophomore 'B' pace in 1:58. The winner is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trained by Justin Anfinson. Celebrity Status (Roland, $6.40) dominated the $23,288 sophomore male pace in a career best 1:56.2 over Flushing Art and Moon Kid Photo. The winner is owned by Set The Pace Racing and is trained Roland. The winners in the first leg of the Burning Blaze Pacing Series were Stayinforthedance (Cutting, $4.00) in 1:55.1 for owner/trainer Elson Miller and Charmingsix (Dean Magee, $2.60) in 1:54.3 for owner/trainer Larry Feilbach and additional owners Claire Vanden Berg and Brent Feilbach. Driver Jacob Cutting posted four wins on the Thursday night program, for the first 'grand slam' of the Aces season. Brady Jenson posted a driving and training double and trainer Elson Miller also sent out two winners. Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday, June 2 with a 12-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).

Canadian-owned Karma Seelster won on the front-end in 1:51.4 in the $47,945 Fillies & Mares Invitational Pace featured on Friday, May 17 at Yonkers Raceway. Driven by Austin Siegelman, Karma Seelster set fractions of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:23 en route to the victory as the 2-1 second choice. Favourite Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) closed from first-over but came up a nose short of Karma Seelster. Blue Chip Matchmaker Series champion Lit De Rose (Pat Lachance) closed well to grab third. Andrew Adamczyk trains Karma Seelster, a seven-year-old Sportswriter mare, for owners Karen Hauver and Shady Hill Racing Stable of Durham, Ont. A 26-time career winner, the millionairess earned her second straight win this month after competing in the Matchmaker Series. She paid $6.10 to win and was atop a $14.80 exacta and a $49.20 trifecta. The Saturday, May 18 program at Yonkers will have a $4,129.18 carryover and a $15,000 guaranteed pool in the Pick 5 after the sequence was not hit on the Friday. The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick 5 are available on TrackMaster.com. The Pick 5, which begins in race five, has a takeout rate of 20 per cent. Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday live racing schedule with post time at 7 p.m. (EDT), though the New York oval will be live on Wednesday this coming week (May 22). (With files from Yonkers Raceway; Photo of Karma Seelster from a previous win)

Pacing faster than he did in his last win at this level in early July, Poseidon Seelster powered past his rivals in the stretch en route to victory in the $36,000 Preferred Pace on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Bob McClure has the assignment behind the six-year-old on Saturday night, and he settled the lukewarm second choice away third early behind an aggressive Bee Two Bee (Travis Cullen) and Points North (Sylvain Filion). That trio stayed as the leading trio through the first three stations in :26.1, :54.3 and 1:22. Doug McNair attempted a first-over approach with Camara Moment, but that one packed it in around the far turn to stifle outer flow. When the field turned for home, Filion and McClure angled their charges from the pylons and set sights on the pacesetter. Both Poseidon Seelster and Points North outkicked Bee Two Bee but Poseidon Seelster had the most late kick and his :26.2 final quarter was the difference in a 1:49 mile. Points North was a length back in second with Livinthebeachlife (Jonathan Drury) completing the triactor. Co-owned by trainer Don Lindsey of Fergus with Paul Kleinpaste of Orangeville, Ont., Will Alempijevic of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Garth Bechtel of Meaford, Ont., Poseidon Seelster (Sunshine Beach - Porsche Seelster) now sports a career summary of 16-10-19 from 84 starts with a bankroll of $577,170. The Saturday evening card also featured four $17,000 first leg divisions of the Ontario Sired Harvest Series for three-year-old male trotters and pacers. Nothingbutadreamer made it four straight wins in the first division for trotters. Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, Nothingbutadreamer got away in second during the :27.2 opening quarter put up by Ricardo (Doug McNair) before driver James MacDonald right-lined the sophomore from the pocket to the lead. After a :56.3 half and 1:25.4 third panel, Nothingbutadreamer faced a fresh threat with Ricardo angling out for the stretch drive. Those two trottters traded blows down the Mohawk stretch, battling into the final strides. Nothingbutadreamer reemerged on top at the wire, winning in a career best 1:53.4. Cactustotheclouds (Trevor Henry) held off rivals for third. Harry Poulton trains Nothingbutadreamer (Muscle Mass - Myimpossibledream) for Thestable Nothinbutadremr of Guelph, Ont. The win is his ninth lifetime, lifting his earnings to $136,943. A $2 win ticket on the favourite returned $3.10. In the second trotting division, Stonebridge Bomber ($3.40) made a serious brush from sixth at the :56.4 half to clear to the lead by the 1:26 third station. Driver Doug McNair asked the sophomore to open up some daylight on the field turning for home. A three-length cushion at the top of the stretch was enough to hold off a late rally from Century Jaguar (Henry) to win by three parts of a length in 1:54.3. Prince Archie (Steven Hudon) was best of the rest. Stonebridge Bomber (Muscle Mass - Stonebridge Glider) notched his fourth career victory and his first for trainer / owner Aaron Byron and co-owner Gordon Mason of Rosseau, Ont. Sitting more 10 lengths off the lead at the half, Leave It To Luther ($15.60) pounced off third over cover turning for home to swoop past his foes in the first $17,000 Harvest division for three-year-old pacers. James MacDonald engineered the winning trip, besting Bar Down Jim (Travis Cullen) by a neck in 1:53.4. Show went to Sans Souci (Mike Whelan). Making his 22nd career start for trainer Ryan Steward and owner Courtney Pollard, Leave It To Luther (Betterthancheddar - T R Lexus Cam) notched his eighth career win but had just two prior starts (and no wins) at Woodbine Mohawk Park before Saturday's appearance. The 1:53.4 mile time was a new lifetime mark by four full seconds. Full Horse ($5.40) was full of horse in the second Harvest division for pacers. Settled in third for driver Louis-Philippe Roy through a :28 first quarter and :57.2 half, Roy right-lined Full Horse approaching the third station and applied pressure to pacesetting favourite Arizona Jackson (Jonathan Drury) as the field hit the three-quarter mark in 1:25.4. Full Horse wore down Arizona Jackson and, through a :27 closing panel, held off the late surge of Cheddar Duharas (Tyler Borth) by a half-length for the 1:53.1 decision. Arizona Jackson stayed for the show spot. Luc Blais trains Full Horse (Bettors Delight - Lady Be Great) for owner Determination of Montreal, Que. The mile time shaved one fifth of a second of his previous lifetime best. The Ontario Sired Harvest Series is for three-year-old colts and geldings who are non-winners of $30,000 in 2023 as of Sept. 30, 2023. The second leg of the series is slated for Saturday, Nov. 18 with the $40,000 (added) final one week later.

The glamour boys touched down in Ottawa on Sunday, August 13 for a $157,200 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold division at Rideau Carleton Raceway, and Stockade Seelster was victorious in an impressive effort from the outside post position. The reigning king of the OSS suffered his first defeat in the provincial program on July 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, but would not to be denied on this occasion. Jody Jamieson and the son of State Treasurer left hard from post eight, beating out fellow quick leavers Moment Is Here (James MacDonald) and Macs Delight (Jonathan Drury) to make the front just as the field was exiting the far turn. “I expected to take about a three-eighths park before I could get there,” said Jamieson. “But three steps out of the wings it looked like I was going to be able to cross over pretty easy, and from there he kind of did his own thing. He just wasn’t getting beat tonight.” Stockade Seelster’s margin grew as large as two lengths as he led the field through fractions of :26.4, :55, and 1:22.3, while Moment Is Here stalked in the pocket. MacDonald angled his pacer to the inside in the stretch but fell a half-length short of overtaking his rival. “Around the last turn I thought I had it in the bag,” said Jamieson. “When James popped in there, I heard him yell, but I just had a really good feeling about my horse tonight. It didn’t matter who was on my back to be honest. I was really proud of him tonight, he was exceptional.” The final time was 1:50.3, a national season's record for a sophomore pacing colt on a five-eighths mile racetrack. Trained by Dr. Ian Moore, Stockade Seelster (State Treasurer - Soiree Seelster) now has seven wins from eight career OSS starts, and has banked more than $475,000 in the program. His total earnings exceed $1.1 million for owners Sally and Paul MacDonald. As the generous 4-1 choice, he paid $10.80 for the win. Moment Is Here’s solid season continued with his second place effort. Whatchulookin At (Louis-Philippe Roy) was the final podium finisher. There were also three $21,800 OSS Grassroots divisions on the card for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, and those divisions all had a common denominator: driver James MacDonald. Santana Hanover captured the first Grassroots division for driver MacDonald and trainer Richard Moreau. Domenic Chiaravalle owns the Big Jim gelding who now has two wins from 11 starts this season. The betting public made Santana Hanover a 3-5 favourite and he stopped the clock in a lifetime best 1:52. Leave It To Leo won his OSS debut in the second Grassroots division with MacDonald driving for trainer Nick Gallucci and owner Millar Farms. The Bettors Deligh gelding used his rail position to sit third through the early going before moving to the front and grabbing the lead at the half and holding on the rest of the way to win in 1:52.3. MacDonald, Gallucci and Millar teamed up with Winmebak in the third and final Grassroots division, and the son of Shadow Play won for the first time in the OSS in his fourth career attempt. MacDonald guided Winmebak to off the pace score in 1:50.2 for his third win of the 2023 campaign. The mile time equaled the existing Rideau track standard for sophomore pacing geldings, set in 2012 by Michaels Power, and is the fastest mile on a five-eighths mile oval in Canada this season.