MISSISSAUGA, ON, 2005 — Six O’Brien Awards, the highest honour awarded in Canadian Harness Racing, were bestowed upon current and former Ontario Sires Stakes stars during the industry’s annual black-tie gala on Saturday evening in Mississauga.

Peaceful Way, an Ontario Sires Stakes star in 2003 and 2004, captured her third consecutive O’Brien Award for her impressive four-year-old campaign. The daughter of Angus Hall captured nine of 10 races in 2005 for a total of $737,000 in earnings, and boosted her lifetime earnings to over $2.4 million. Owned by Goin My Way Stable of Pennsylvania, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband of Toronto, ON, trainer David Tingley of Guelph, ON and breeder Angie Stiller of Arva, ON, Peaceful Way was the first horse in history to be acclaimed an O’Brien Award winner.

Stiller and the talented trotter’s dam, Royal Bait, also claimed O’Brien Awards on Saturday. Stiller was honoured with the inaugural Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award and Royal Bait earned the Broodmare of the Year title.

Six-year-old trotter JM Vangogh earned the nod from O’Brien Award voters in the Aged Trotting Horse category after capturing 20 of 30 races in 2005 and adding $410,000 in earnings to his career total of $1,324,535. Hall of Fame horseman Ron Waples of Guelph trained and drove JM Vangogh, who topped the three-year-old trotting colt Ontario Sires Stakes division in 2003, for Paul Chambers of Delaware and John Mello of Massachusetts.

Ontario Sires Stakes competitors swept three of four freshman awards as pacing filly Style, trotting filly Pure Ivory and trotting colt Was It A Dream captured the hearts of voters with their impressive performances in and out of the provincial program.

In addition to two Gold Final victories, two-year-old pacing filly Style posted wins in the Whenuwishuponastar Series, the Robert Stewart Stakes, the Eternal Camnation Stake and an elimination of the She’s A Great Lady Stake. Trained by John Kopas of Campbellville, ON, the Rustler Hanover miss captured 10 of 13 starts, strung together six consecutive wins in top stakes company and earned $528,000 for breeder Glengate Farms of Campbellville, ON and partner George Hempt of Pennsylvania.

Freshman trotting filly Pure Ivory posted a record of 10 wins in 14 starts in 2005, including the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final, eliminations of the Breeders Crown and Oakville Stakes and divisions of the Champlain and Robert Stewart Stakes. Brad Maxwell of Ayr, ON trained the Striking Sahbra daughter to her $465,000 season for breeder Harry Rutherford of Mount Pleasant, ON, driver Steve Condren of Milton, ON, Jerry Vanboekel of Bright, ON and his wife Christina Maxwell of Ayr, ON.

Was It A Dream nudged out Ontario Sires Stakes rival Majestic Son to earn the two-year-old trotting colt O’Brien Award. The Striking Sahbra son delivered his most impressive performance of the season in the inaugural William Wellwood Stake, named in honour of trainer Paul Wellwood’s father. Wellwood Stables Inc. of Cambridge, ON and driver Paul MacDonell of Guelph, ON own the gifted young trotter, who posted a record of seven wins in 13 starts for earnings of $519,000.

The final O’Brien Award earned by an Ontario Sires Stakes competitor went to three-year-old pacing filly Lady Dillinger, who sailed past the million dollar barrier with her second straight Super Final win in November. The D M Dilinger daughter, owned and trained by breeder Gaetan Hebert of Waterdown, ON, was undefeated in Ontario Sires Stakes action from July through November, winning nine of 18 races and earning $612,000.

A complete list of Ontario sired O’Brien Award winners follows.

The 2005 Ontario sired O’Brien Award Winners

Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer

Style owned by George Hempt of Camp Hill, PA and Glengate Farms of Campbellville, ON

Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer

Lady Dillinger owned by Gaetan Hebert, Waterdown, ON

Two-Year-Old Filly Trotter

Pure Ivory owned by Jerry Vanboekel, Bright, ON, Harry Rutherford, Mount Pleasant, ON, Stephen Condren, Milton, ON and Christina Maxwell, Ayr, ON

Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trotter

Was It A Dream owned by Wellwood Stables Inc., Cambridge, ON and Paul MacDonell Racing Stable, Guelph, ON

Older Mare Trotter

Peaceful Way unanimous winner owned by Goin My Way Stable, PA, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, Sam Goldband, Toronto, David Tingley, Guelph, and Angie Stiller, Arva, ON

Older Horse/Gelding Trotter

JM Vangogh owned by Paul Chambers, Harrington, DE and John Mello, Georgetown, MA

Broodmare of the Year

Royal Bait owned by Angie Stiller, Arva, ON

Armstrong Breeder of the Year

Angie Stiller, Arva, ON