New York Sire Stakes Annual Awards Banquet Held

The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund (the Fund) Executive Director Peter Goold today announced the Fund held its Annual New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) Awards Banquet on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York. A total of 29 awards were given to horse owners, drivers, and trainers who performed exceptionally well during the 2008 NYSS racing season.

"We are very pleased to have such an outstanding state-bred racing program. Our program would not be possible without the many distinguished men and women in the harness racing and standardbred breeding industries who take part in the New York Sire Stake program each year," Goold said. "On behalf of the Fund Trustees, congratulations to all of the award winners for their exceptional performances during the 2008 New York Sire Stakes racing season."

The NYSS awards honor the top performers in each level of New York Sire Stakes racing: the NYSS Series, the County Fair Series, and the Late Closers Series. The Fund also honors the leading NYSS drivers, trainers, and breeders of the racing season.

The award recipients are as follows:

The 2008 NYSS Breeder of the Year awards went to Winbak Farm (Wallkill, NY) for all three Series: NYSS, County Fair, & Late Closers.

The 2008 NYSS Trainer of the Year awards went to Jessica Okusko for the NYSS Series and Late Closers Series and to Lonny Hale for the County Fair Series

The 2008 NYSS Driver of the Year awards went to James Morrill, Jr for the NYSS Series, Harold Smith for the County Fair Series, and to Brian Allen for the Late Closers Series.

2008 New York Sire Stakes Series Award Winners:

NYSS 3-Year-Old Pacing Filly: ARTIMITTATESLIFE Breeder & Owner: Robert Young, Paul Gazzola, Brian Barton; Trainer: Edward Hart; NYSS Earnings: $194,643

NYSS 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt: BULLVILLE POWERFUL Breeder & Owner: Crevani Farms Trainer: Stephen Crevani; NYSS Earnings: $208,505

NYSS 3-Year-Old Trotting Filly: CREDIT VICTORY Breeder: Alan Ritchie; Owner: Anders Jonsson; Trainer: Harald Lunde; NYSS Earnings: $150,200

NYSS 3-Year-Old Trotting Colt: FOUR STARZ SPEED Breeder: Johanna Beaver, Charles Beaver, William Otstot; Owner: Four Starzzzz Stable LLC; Trainer: Michael Latham; NYSS Earnings: $197,554

NYSS 2-Year-Old Pacing Filly: EAGLE WAY Breeder: Dettore Farms; Owner: Frank Dettore; Trainer: Mark Ford; NYSS Earnings: $200,857

NYSS 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt: HAY GOODLOOKING Breeder: Ubaudi-gendreau Stables; Owner: Theodore Gewertz, Samuel Dotro, Deborah Brunet; Trainer: Gaetan Brunet; NYSS Earnings: $183,752

NYSS 2-Year-Old Trotting Filly: SHE'S SO SAVVY Breeder: K Sautter, J Sautter; Owner: Purple Haze Stables; Trainer: Jessica Okusko; NYSS Earnings: $159,254

NYSS 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt: DONTTELLMYWIFE Breeder: Winbak Farm; Owner: George Ducharme, Nicola Oliva, Shannon DiAntonio; Trainer: George Ducharme; NYSS Earnings: $220,917

2008 NYSS County Fair Series Award Winners:

County Fair 3-Year-Old Trot: JB's HIT Breeder: Harold Smith; Owner: Harold Smith; Trainer: Paul Zabielski

County Fair 3-Year-Old Pace: WILD SIDE Breeder: James Burke; Owner: Linda Austin; Trainer: Lonny Hale

County Fair 2-Year-Old Trot: ROSIE MOGUL Breeder: Morrisville College Foundation; Owner: Paul M. O'Neil, Patricia A. O'Niel, Brian Cross; Trainer: Brian Cross

County Fair 2-Year-Old Pace: SILENT HILL Breeder: Winbak Farm; Owner: James Ackley; Trainer: Douglas Ackley

2008 NYSS Late Closers Series Award Winners:

2-Year-Old Pacing Filly: SEALED IN MY HEART Breeder & Owner: Mathias Meinzinger Trainer: Daniel Daley

2-Year-Old Pacing Colt: WHERE'S WALDO Breeder: Fredrick Hertrich III, Lewis Arno; Owner: Mathias Meinzinger; Trainer: Tracy Brainard

2-Year-Old Trotting Filly: ON WITH THE SHOW Breeder: Walnut Hall, Ltd, Edmund Smith; Owner: Joel Weiss, John Sixt, Judith Blaun; Trainer: Judith Blaun

2-Year-Old Trotting Colt: NEVER MISSED Breeder: Patrick Tarsio; Owner: Raymond Allen, Brent Schlossberg; Trainer: Raymond Allen

3-Year-Old Pacing Filly: LESLEY'S JLO BELLE Breeder & Owner: Louis C. Talarico II; Trainer: Ray VanDreason

3-Year-Old Pacing Colt: TWIN B LONESTAR Breeder: Twinbrook Limited; Owner: Horseman's Financial Agency; Premier Racing Stables LLC; Trainer: Chris Williams

3-Year-Old Trotting Filly: PRINCESS HALL Breeder: Winbak Farm; Owner: Purple Haze Stables LLC; Trainer: Jessica Okusko

3-Year-Old Trotting Colt: JOHN PAUL'S LEGACY Breeder & Owner: Emil V. Benvenuto; Trainer: Angus MacDonald

The United States Trotting Association District 8 and the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State also presented awards at the NYSS Awards Banquet. The USTA District 8 awarded a total of 17 awards representing outstanding performing horses in its district. The Harness Horse Breeders awarded its second annual Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal to William S. Brown of Wallkill, NY for his outstanding contributions to harness horse racing and improvements of the breeding of standardbred horses within New York State.

Inaugurated in 1965, the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) was the first program of its kind in North America and later became the model for many state-bred racing programs. The landmark legislation, known as the Lavern Law, sought to spur the standardbred breeding industry through the creation of the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund; the public benefit corporation that administers the NYSS racing program and promotes standardbred breeding within the State. Today the NYSS offers $15 million in purses and $1 million in Breeders' Awards, holding races at all of New York State's harness tracks and 22 county fairs, providing unmatched racing and money-earning opportunities for the many horsemen in the Empire State.

For more information or to find out how you can become involved in the New York Sire Stakes Racing Program, please visit www.nysirestakes.com.

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