Columbus, OH (My Sportsbook) - The top two contenders for Horse of the Year, Somebeachsomewhere and Deweycheatumnhowe, have been honored with Dan Patch Awards as divisional champions of 2008.
The Dan Patch Awards will be presented to owners of the sport's brightest stars on Wednesday, February 4 at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. At that time the Horse of the Year will be announced along with Pacer and Trotter of the Year.
Somebeachsomewhere followed his championship year of 2007 with another as top three-year-old male pacer for 2008. Trained by Brent MacGrath for Schooner Stables, the colt won 14 of 15 starts for a record $2,448,003. With Paul MacDonnell driving, Somebeachsomewhere won the Messenger Stakes and closed his career with a victory in the Breeders Crown.
Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe made it two Dan Patch Awards in two years with his being honored as champion three-year-old male trotter. Driven by trainer Ray Schnittker, the colt won the Kentucky Futurity to go with his Hambletonian victory and finished 2008 with earnings of $2,218,987 while winning 12 of 15 starts.
Repeating as champion older male pacer is Mister Big. Owned by Joe Muscara, Mister Big won 11 of 14 races for more than $1.5 million. The five-year-old won the $500,000 Breeders Crown race for older pacers back in August along with the $660,000 Canadian Pacing Derby.
My Little Dragon, the 2005 champion two-year-old filly pacer, is the top pacing mare of 2008. She became a three-time Breeders Crown champion this year with a win in the Older Mare Pace. My Little Dragon was a Breeders Crown champion at ages two and three. In 2008 she earned $817,567 while taking 10 of 22 starts.
The champion older male trotter is Enough Talk. Enough Talk took home $685,736 with nine wins in 21 starts. Buck I St. Pat is the champion older trotting mare for 2008. She won 10 of 14 races for $411,724.
Lantern Kronos has been named the champion three-year-old trotting filly and Tug River Princess is the top three-year-old pacing filly for 2008. Lantern Kronos won 12 of 18 races for $914,854 while Tug River Princess earned $870,450 with 12 wins in 19 starts.
The champion two-year-old trotters for 2008 are Muscle Hill as top colt and Honorable Daughter as the leading filly. Muscle Hill won eight of nine starts for $817,301 and Honorable Daughter earned $835,555 with nine victories in 11 starts.
Taking home Dan Patch Awards as champion two-year-old pacers are the colt Major in Art and the filly Fox Valley Topaz. Major in Art won six of 10 starts in 2008 for $849,154 and Fox Valley Topaz brought home $628,880 with 10 victories in 15 races.
