Richard Moreau earns another trainer of the year honour at O’Brien Awards

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Richard Moreau earned his fifth straight O’Brien bronze in the trainer of the year category at the 2017 O’Brien Awards on Saturday night.

The Puslinch, Ont., native led all Canadian trainers with 277 victories and over $3.7 million in pure earnings.

The O’Brien Awards honour the best in Canadian horse racing and are named after the late Joe O’Brien — a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Moreau’s stable star, Sandbetweenurtoes, was honoured as Older Pacing Mare of the Year.

Owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont., took home three O’Brien bronzes — one each for his two-year-old pacing colt, Stay Hungry, his three-year-old pacing filly Bettors Up and his pacing mare, Sandbetweenurtoes. Grant had lost several horses in a tragic barn fire at Classy Lane Training Centre in January 2016.

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Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., and Marvin Katz of Toronto took home two O’Briens — one for Ariana G, voted the country’s top three-year-old trotting filly, and one as Breeders of the Year.

Driver Doug McNair from Guelph, Ont., won his first O’Brien as Canada’s Driver of the Year following a year where he earned more than $5.9 million in purse money, and $6.5 million in earnings in North America while driving 325 winners.

Marc Campbell of Winsloe, P.E.I. took his second O’Brien Award of Horsemanship. He recorded 255 wins and more than $584,000 in purse earnings as a driver. On the training side, Campbell had 131 victories and more than $376,000 in earnings last season.

Hannelore Hanover was named Canada’s Horse of the Year, and also won her second consecutive O’Brien Trophy as Older Trotting Mare. Her connections received the inaugural Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Award.

Hannelore Hanover won 10-of-17 races last season, over $1.1 million in purse money and scored victories against male rivals in an elimination and final of the Breeders Crown Open Trot, the Allerage, and the Maple Leaf Trot. She also swept the Armbro Flight.

The Canadian Press