Harness Racing: Bee A Magician named Horse of the Year

With a packed house in attendance at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, last year’s undefeated filly Bee A Magician was officially crowned Horse of the Year for 2013. The top equine award handed out during the evening was one of a quintet of year-end honors kept under wraps until the February 23 awards ceremony.

Bee A Magician, who also earned the hardware as Trotter of the Year, received 94 votes for Horse of the Year, soundly besting Foiled Again (19 votes) and Captaintreacherous (17) for the award.

Bee A Magician was perfect in 17 starts last year while earning $1,547,304 for owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David Mc Duffee. The award-winning 3-year-old’s campaign was highlighted by victories in the Hambleonian Oaks and Breeders Crown. Brian Sears and Rick Zeron split driving duties for trainer Richard Norman during her remarkable year.

Derick GiwnerBee A Magcian & trainer "Nifty" Norman

“I was confident, but I’m glad it is over,” said Norman about receiving the honor, before looking ahead to next year. “She is feeling great. We are going to race her in the Miss Versatility and Armbro Flight in the middle of May.”

The most anxious time of the night was in the moments leading up to the announcement of Pacer of the Year. Would it be the ageless warrior Foiled Again or 3-year-old superstar Captaintreacherous? In the closest vote of the 2013 awards, Captaintreacherous narrowly edged out Foiled Again by a 68 to 57 final tally despite the fact that Foiled Again secured more Horse of the Year votes.

With a stellar record of 13 wins in 16 starts, Captaintreacherous completely dominated the 3-year-old pacing landscape. The son of Somebeachsomewhere was expertly trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Tim Tetrick to wins in the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace and Breeders Crown during his sophomore campaign. The now 4-year-old colt earned $2,055,033 for the ownership group of Captaintreacherous Racing.

“When the season was over I sat down and watched his races,” Alagna reminisced. “I realized that this horse always gave 100 percent. It looked like he was beaten and he would come back and win. I didn’t teach him that, he was born with it.”

The lone divisional race left undecided for 2-year-olds was in the pacing colt ranks. He’s Watching sounded defeated Luck Bewith You by a 51 to 26 margin for top honors on the strength of a perfect season. The colt won all eight of his starts while also setting a world record of 1:52 2/5 on a half-mile track. Other rookie winners were Shake It Cerry (trotting filly), Precocious Beauty (pacing filly) and the current favorite to win the 2014 Hambletonian, Father Patrick (trotting colt).

The 3-year-olds also had one title still up for grabs and Royalty For Life was anointed with the honor over fellow nominee Spider Blue by a 104 to 22 tally. Royalty For Life took home the prestigious Hambletonian and earned over $1.2 million during his strong 2013 campaign. Captaintreacherous (pacing colt), I Luv The Nitelife (pacing filly) and Bee A Magician (trotting filly) rounded out the second-year divisional winners.

Amongst the older crowd, Anndrovette bested Rocklamation by an 85 to 26 margin to be named the best pacing mare in training. Anndrovette, who earned the honor for a third time, won the Roses R Red and earned over $500,000 last year. Two trotting giants with aspirations of an Elitlopp victory in 2014—Market Share and Maven—earned trophies as the best older horse and mare, respectively. Foiled Again, who became the richest horse in North American standardbred racing history last year, was honored as the best older pacer for the third consecutive year.

On the human side, Ron Burke was officially crowned as Trainer of the Year. The 44-year-old conditioner won an amazing 1,090 races and his horses earned over $22 million in 2013. Tim Tetrick continued his dominance of the earnings leaderboard to win his fourth Driver of the Year crown. Horses driven by Tetrick took home $16,164,822 last year, marking the seventh consecutive year he has led North America in earnings.

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2013 Dan Patch Award Winners

2-Year-Old Trotting Filly: Shake It Cerry
2-Year-Old Pacing Filly: Precocious Beauty
2-Year-Old Trotting Colt: Father Patrick
2-Year-Old Pacing Colts: He’s Watching
3-Year-Old Trotting Colts: Royalty For Life
3-Year-Old Trotting Filly: Bee A Magician
3-Year-Old Pacing Filly: I Luv The Nitelife
3-Year-Old Pacing Colt: Captaintreacherous
Trotting Mare: Maven
Trotting Horse: Market Share
Pacing Mares: Anndrovette
Pacing Horse: Foiled Again
Pacer of the Year: Captaintreacherous
Trotter of the Year: Bee A Magician
Horse of the Year: Bee A Magician

USHWA - Awards and Honorees

Harness Racing Hall of Fame: David Miller & William Weaver
Communicators Hall of Fame: Carol Cramer & John Pawlak
Stan Bergstein–Proximity Award: Joe Thomson
Norman Woolworth Owner: Burke Racing & Weaver Bruscemi
Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year: Ron Burke
Driver of the Year: Tim Tetrick
Breeder of the Year: White Birch Farm
Lew Barasch Breakthrough: Heather Wilder
Rising Star: Corey Callahan
President’s Award: Mary Lou Dondarski
W. R. Haughton Good Guy: George Ducharme
USHWAn of the Year: Judy Davis-Wilson
Unsung Hero: Sam Landy & Open Space
Amateur Driver of the Year: Steve Oldford
Trotting Broodmare of the Year: Beehive
Pacing Broodmare of the Year: Worldly Treasure
January Davies Humanitarian Award: Donna Marshall
HHYF Service to Youth Award: Janet Stevenson Davis

Dan Patch Award Winners - Profiles

HORSE OF THE YEAR

TROTTER OF THE YEAR

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER

Bee A Magician
Kadabra – Beehive – Balanced Image
Breeder: White Birch Farm.
Owners: Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman, David McDuffee.
Trainer: Richard “Nifty” Norman. Drivers: Rick Zeron, Brian Sears.
Races: 17-17-0-0. Purses: $1.54 million. Mark: 1:51 at Meadowlands (world record).
Top wins: $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks; $500,000 Breeders Crown; $356,981 Elegantimage.

PACER OF THE YEAR

3-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER

Captaintreacherous
Somebeachsomewhere – Worldly Treasure – Artsplace
Breeder: White Birch Farm.
Owner: Captaintreacherous Racing.
Trainer: Tony Alagna. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 16-13-2-0. Purses: $2.05 million. Mark: 1:47.1 at Red Mile.
Top wins: $980,000 North America Cup; $635,750 Meadowlands Pace; $500,000 Breeders Crown.

2-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER

Father Patrick
Cantab Hall – Gala Dream – Enjoy Lavec
Breeder: Brittany Farms.
Owner: Father Patrick Stable.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 11-10-1-0. Purses: $744,057. Mark: 1:52.1 at Pocono Downs (world record).
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $354,050 Wellwood Memorial; $280,500 Haughton Memorial.

2-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER

Shake It Cerry
Donato Hanover – Solveig – Yankee Glide
Breeder: Solveig’s Breeders.
Owner: Solveig’s Racing Partners.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Races: 11-8-2-0. Purses: $827,769. Mark: 1:53.3 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $456,150 Goldsmith Maid; $321,700 Merrie Annabelle.

2-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER

He’s Watching
American Ideal – Baberhood – Real Desire
Breeders: Brittany Farms, Robert Burgess, Karin Olsson Burgess.
Owners: David Menary, Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero.
Trainer: David Menary. Driver: Jim Morrill Jr.
Races: 8-8-0-0. Purses: $291,722. Mark: 1:50 at Tioga Downs.
Top win: $225,000 New York Sire Stakes final.

2-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER

Precocious Beauty
Art Major – Precious Beauty – Jate Lobell
Breeder: James Avritt Sr.
Owner: James Avritt Sr.
Trainer: Gregg McNair. Driver: Doug McNair.
Races: 11-7-3-0. Purses: $446,692. Mark: 1:50.1 at Red Mile (world record).
Top win: $428,450 She’s A Great Lady.

3-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER

Royalty For Life
RC Royalty – Bourbon ’N Grits – Donerail
Breeder: Al Ross.
Owners: Al Ross, Ray “Chip” Campbell Jr., Paul Fontaine.
Trainer: George Ducharme. Driver: Brian Sears.
Races: 14-7-2-0. Purses: $1.27 million. Mark: Q1:51.3 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $1 million Hambletonian; $665,420 Canadian Trotting Classic; $294,000 Dancer Memorial.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER

I Luv The Nitelife
Rocknroll Hanover – Lisjune – Camluck
Breeders: MJG Racing Stables, Louis “Andy” Willinger.
Owners: Richard and Joanne Young.
Trainer: Chris Ryder. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 15-13-1-1. Purses: $1.25 million. Mark: 1:48.4 at Pocono Downs (world record).
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $384,044 Fan Hanover; $350,000 Valley Forge.

OLDER MALE TROTTER

Market Share
Revenue S – Classical Flirt – Yankee Glide
Breeder: Hayley Moore.
Owners: Richard Gutnick, TLP Stable, William Augustine.
Trainer: Linda Toscano. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 14-6-1-5. Purses: $1.07 million. Mark: Q1:50.3 at Meadowlands.
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $526,710 Maple Leaf; $500,000 TVG Free For All Championship.

OLDER FEMALE TROTTER

Maven
Glidemaster – M Stewart – American Winner
Breeder: All La Nuova Sbarra S.r.l.
Owner: Bill Donovan.
Trainer: Jonas Czernyson. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 14-10-2-0. Purses: $509,220. Mark: 1:51.4 at Delaware County Fairgrounds (world record).
Top wins: $266,041 Armbro Flight; $250,000 Breeders Crown.

OLDER MALE PACER

Foiled Again
Dragon Again – In A Safe Place – Artsplace
Breeder: Barbara Matthews.
Owners: Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 29-11-6-7. Purses: $1.40 million. Mark: 1:48 at Pocono Downs (world record).
Top wins: $512,000 TVG Free For All Championship; $500,000 Breeders Crown; $500,000 Ben Franklin.

OLDER FEMALE PACER
Anndrovette
Riverboat King – Easy Miss – Big Towner
Breeder: Golden Touch Stable.
Owner: Bamond Racing, Joseph Davino.
Trainer: P.J. Fraley. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 21-7-7-4. Purses: $558,201. Mark: 1:48 at Mohawk.
Top win: $313,795 Roses Are Red.