Page 9 - Patch Award News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Party Girl Hill, the world-record-setting 2020 Dan Patch Award winner for best three-year-old pacing female, has been retired because of an injury discovered after training this past weekend. Chris Ryder, who trained the mare for breeder-owner Tom Hill, said Party Girl Hill was nearly ready to qualify in preparation for her four-year-old campaign. “We’re all devastated,” Ryder said Monday. “She had been training back terrific. It’s just a shame; a shame for her and a shame for us not to be able to see what she could do as an aged horse. It’s a real loss. She was so special.”

Woodbine Entertainment today (March 5) released the list of eligible horses for its 2021 major stakes, including the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup. The Pepsi North America Cup, harness racing’s richest race for three-year-old pacers, received 72 nominations, holding steady to last year’s number of 77. Dan Patch Award winner Perfect Sting leads the group of eligible horses for the 38th Pepsi North America Cup. The undefeated son of Always B Miki won last year’s Breeders Crown (in a dead-heat) and Kentucky Sires Stakes Championship for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Brittany Farms ...

Not many people can head into this weekend's O’Brien Awards knowing they have an award secured, but trainer Luc Blais is in that rare position. The Quebec native, who has become the man in charge training Serge Godin’s Determination Stable, conditions both nominees for Two-Year-Old Trotting Male of the Year—Macho Martini and On A Streak. Blais also trains nominee for Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Donna Soprano, but can sit on the edge of his seat as that filly competes for the title against Paul Walker trainee Imextraspecial. “It was an amazing year,” Blais said. “You k...

Ontario-sired pacing colt Tall Dark Stranger was named the 2020 U.S. Horse of the Year as part of the Dan Patch Annual Awards Banquet held virtually on Saturday (Jan. 16). The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), the leading media organization in North American harness racing, has announced the winners of its Dan Patch Awards balloting for excellence exhibited among both equines and humans. The “best of the best” are normally honoured at the writers’ Dan Patch Annual Awards Banquet, but that event was cancelled this year due to the ongoing health crisis, so a special Virtu...