McWicked and Shartin, ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the sport’s year-end poll, were landslide winners for division honors among pacers in Dan Patch Award voting released Thursday by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Shartin, a 5-year-old mare, was named best older female pacer on all but one ballot while McWicked, a 7-year-old stallion, was named best older male pacer on all but three.
Also named division winners were 2-year-old colt Captain Crunch, 2-year-old filly Warrawee Ubeaut, 3-year-old gelding Dorsoduro Hanover, and 3-year-old filly Kissin In The Sand. All of the winners with the exception of Dorsoduro Hanover received at least 90 percent of the vote in their division. Dorsoduro Hanover won, 65-53, over runner-up Courtly Choice in the closest divisional balloting among either pacers or trotters this year.
A total of 130 Dan Patch Award ballots were returned by eligible members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association and American Harness Racing Secretaries. Dan Patch Award winners will be honored at the organization’s banquet Feb. 24 at Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, Fla., at which time Trotter, Pacer, and Horse of the Year will be announced.
McWicked led the sport in earnings this year, with $1.57 million. He became the first horse older than the age of 5 to top the money standings since 7-year-old trotter Savoir in 1975. McWicked also became the oldest male pacer to ever win a Dan Patch Award at age 2 or 3 and capture another trophy as an older horse. His first honor came at 3 in 2014.
For the season, McWicked won 12 of 19 races, capping his campaign with a five-race win streak, and hit the board a total of 17 times. His victories included the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace, $471,100 William R. Haughton Memorial, $462,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, $430,000 Breeders Crown, $350,000 TVG Series Open championship, $250,000 Dan Rooney Invitational, and $179,000 Allerage Farms Open. His 1:46 2/5 clocking in the Allerage was the second-fastest race mile in history.
Brian Sears was McWicked’s primary driver, but David Miller also posted Grand Circuit wins with the Casie Coleman-trained stallion. McWicked, a son of McArdle out of Western Sahara, is owned by Ed James’ S S G Stables. He was bred by Andray Farm.
Shartin became the first pacing mare to earn $1 million in a season, finishing the year with $1.05 million thanks to 19 wins in 24 races. The New Zealand-bred mare joins Hall of Famer Cardigan Bay as a “Down Under” import to receive a Dan Patch Award. Cardigan Bay, also from New Zealand, was a two-time honoree (1965 and 1968).
Trained by Jim King Jr. and driven by Tim Tetrick, Shartin’s wins included the $373,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series championship, $281,200 Roses Are Red, $270,000 Breeders Crown, $197,400 Lady Liberty, $175,000 TVG Series Mare championship, $161,000 Artiscape, $150,000 Betsy Ross Invitational, $102,200 Chip Noble Memorial, and $98,500 Allerage Farms Mare Pace. She also finished the year with a five-race win streak.
Shartin, a daughter of Tintin In America out of Bagdarin, is owned by Richard Poillucci and Jo Ann Looney-King. She was bred by GJ Crabbe.
Dorsoduro Hanover got the nod among 3-year-old male pacers after leading the division with $1.28 million in purses, the second-highest total in the sport. He won 10 of 22 races, with his victories including the $530,000 Breeders Crown, $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios, and $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship. He also had six second-place finishes, including in the Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug.
Ron Burke trained the gelding, who was driven by Matt Kakaley. Dorsoduro Hanover is owned by Sylvia Burke’s Burke Racing Stable, the partnership of Jerry Silva, Theresa Silva, Purnel Jones Jr. and Elizabeth Jones, the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, and the Wingfield Five (Bradley, Charles, Kimberly, Robert and Thomas Wingfield). The son of Somebeachsomewhere out of Deer Valley Miss was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.
Two-year-old filly Warrawee Ubeaut also is part of the Burke Brigade. She won seven of 12 races and earned a division-leading $646,995 for trainer Burke and driver Yannick Gingras. Her wins included the $600,000 Breeders Crown and $207,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes. In addition, her 1:48 3/5 victory in a $61,250 division of the International Stallion Stakes at Red Mile made her the fastest 2-year-old pacer in history.
Warrawee Ubeaut is owned by Sylvia Burke’s Burke Racing Stable, Phil Collura, the partnership of Jerry Silva, Theresa Silva, Purnel Jones Jr. and Elizabeth Jones, and the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi. A daughter of Sweet Lou out of Great Memories, she was bred by Warrawee Farm.
Three-year-old filly Kissin In The Sand and 2-year-old colt Captain Crunch both are from the stable of trainer Nancy Johansson and were driven by Scott Zeron.
Kissin In The Sand won 10 of 15 races and never finished worse than second on her way to a division-best $845,495 in purses. Her wins included the $300,000 James M. Lynch Memorial, $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship, $191,800 Mistletoe Shalee, and $126,000 Bluegrass Stakes. She was second in the Breeders Crown and Fan Hanover.
Marvin Katz and Bud Hatfield’s Hatfield Stables own Kissin In The Sand, who is a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere out of Kiss Me Kate. The filly was bred by Christina Takter, John Fielding, RAW Equine, and Concord Stud Farm.
Captain Crunch won six of 10 races and earned a division-leading $616,113. His triumphs included the $600,000 Breeders Crown and $469,300 Governor’s Cup.
He is owned by 3 Brothers Stables (Alan, Ron and Steve Katz), Christina Takter, Norman and Robert Aerenson’s Rojan Stables, and Judy and Buck Chaffee’s Caviart Farms. Captain Crunch, a son of Captaintreacherous out of Sweet Paprika, was bred by Walnridge Farm and Sherri Meirs.
For more information about the Dan Patch Awards banquet and Rosen Shingle Creek resort, visit the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s website.
-edited release (U.S. Harness Writers Association)
Original news source credited to: https://www.drf.com/news/harness-shartin-mcwicked-top-dan-patch-pacing-award-winners
