Harness: McWicked takes home Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Award at O'Briens

The annual O'Brien Awards, honoring Canada's best Standardbreds and horsepeople for the year, were held on Saturday night, and McWicked was the big winner, taking home the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Award and the Older Pacing Male titles.

McWicked, who won the Breeders Crown, TVG, Canadian Pacing Derby, and a host of other stakes events in 2018, is trained by Casie Coleman for owner Ed James and his S S G Stables. A now 8-year-old McArdle stallion, McWicked also won the O'Brien Award for best 3-year-old male pacer way back in 2014.

Coleman also won the O'Brien Award for 2-year-old male pacer with Stag Party. A Bettor's Delight colt, Stag Party won last year's Metro Pace and is owned by John Fielding, Mac Nichol, McKinlay & Fielding, and West Wins Stable.

Richard Moreau won his sixth straight Trainer of the Year Award, beating out Coleman for that award. Moreau, the top trainer at Woodbine Mohawk Park, sent out 315 winners in 2018 and his charges earned C$4,695,434.

Moreau's regular driver, Louis-Philippe Roy, won his first Driver of the Year Award. The Quebec native was leading driver at Woodbine Mohawk Park, won 416 races overall, and his charges earned C$7,476,639. Two of Roy's regular drives, the consistent and hard-knocking 3-year-old male pacer Jimmy Freight and Fan Hanover champion Shower Play (3-Year-Old Pacing Filly) won O'Brien Awards.

A full list of winners is as follows:

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER

Tall Drink Hanover

Owned by Alagna Racing LLC, Manalapan, NJ; Marvin Katz, Toronto, ON; Riverview Racing LLC, Boynton Beach FL.

TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACER

Stag Party

Owned by John Fielding, Toronto, ON; Mac Nichol, Burlington, ON; McKinlay & Fielding, Toronto, ON; West Wins Stable, Cambridge, ON

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER

Shower Play

Owned by Rene Dion & Suzie Kerwood, Rockwood, ON; Martin Leveillee, St-Blaise-Sur-Richelieu, QC

THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACER

Jimmy Freight

Owned by Adriano Sorella, Guelph, ON

OLDER PACING MARE

Exhilarated

Owned by Auciello Stables, Stouffville, ON

OLDER PACING HORSE

McWicked

Owned by S S G Stables, North Boston, NY

TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER

The Ice Dutchess

Owned by Coyote Wynd Farms, Vancouver, BC

TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROTTER

Forbidden Trade

Owned by Determination, Montreal, QC

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER

Illusioneesta

Owned by Harbor Racing Stable LLC, Aurora, ON; Asa Farm, Norwood, ON

THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROTTER

Run Director

Owned by Thomas & Elizabeth Rankin, St Catharines, ON

OLDER TROTTING MARE

Emoticon Hanover

Owned by Determination, Montreal, QC

OLDER TROTTING HORSE

Will Take Charge

Owned by Mac Nichol, Burlington, ON; Jeff Gillis, Hillsburgh, ON

SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE HORSE OF THE YEAR

McWicked

Owned by S S G Stables, North Boston, NY

PEOPLE AWARDS

O'BRIEN AWARD OF HORSEMANSHIP

Guy Gagnon, Gatineau, QC

ARMSTRONG BREEDER OF THE YEAR

Seelster Farms, Lucan, ON

DRIVER OF THE YEAR

Louis-Philippe Roy, Guelph, ON

TRAINER OF THE YEAR

Richard Moreau, Puslinch, ON

FUTURE STAR AWARD

Chris Lancaster, Airdrie, AB

ADDITIONAL AWARDS PRESENTED AT THE CEREMONY

OUTSTANDING GROOM AWARD

Co-winners: Scott Lecain, Rockwood, ON & Trevor Forgie, Guelph, ON

MEDIA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

OUTSTANDING WRITTEN WORK

It Was A Very Good Year

Written by Ric Chapman, Oakville, Ont.

OUTSTANDING BROADCAST

Canadian Pacing Derby Broadcast

Produced by WEG Broadcast Department; Kris Platts, Producer & Director

OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Silhouette Racing Shot

Clive Cohen, North York, Ont.

--(winner's list courtesy of Standardbred Canada)--