By Tim Bojarski, president, UNY USHWA
(Photos courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery)
Batavia, NY — The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association and Batavia Downs have announced the top driver, trainers and horses from the summer and fall live racing meet who will be honored for their efforts during the Night of Distinction awards presentation that will be held on closing night at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 9). Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.
Jim Morrill Jr. will receive the Driver of the Year Award after he notched his fifth driving title at Batavia Downs. This meet, Morrill had 429 starts with 138 wins, 81 seconds and 58 thirds that produced earnings of $1,217,071 and a UDR. of .472. Those earnings set a new all-time track record for purses collected in a single meet at Batavia, breaking the mark he set just last year ($1,115,951). Morrill is also only one of two drivers (Kevin Cummings) to ever earn in excess of $1 million at Batavia Downs in a single meet and now both have done it in consecutive years.
Overall in 2023, Morrill has started 1,020 times with 295 wins, 184 seconds and 148 thirds with $2,567,305 in earnings and a UDR of .438. That UDR rating has him sitting in first place among all drivers in North America for percentage performance.
The Trainer of the Year has yet to be decided as Sam Smith and Shawn McDonough are currently tied after Wednesday’s card with Smith showing 43 wins and McDonough posting 43 wins as well.
To this point in the meet, Smith has 242 starts with 43 wins, 42 seconds and 35 thirds with earnings of $401,222 and a UTR of .322. For the year he has 648 starts with 109 wins, 94 seconds and 91 thirds with earnings of $988,750 and a UTR of .296. All these numbers are career highs for Smith.
McDonough’s Batavia meet tally shows 276 starts with 43 wins, 42 seconds and 29 thirds that banked $346,692 and provided him a UTR of .275. His totals for all of 2023 showed 598 starts with 96 wins, 83 seconds and 76 thirds, earnings of $764,240 and a UTR of .280.
The top trainer will be named Saturday night as Smith will start 10 horses and McDonough will start eight and it could come down to the 15th race on the card before it’s decided.
Driver Kyle Swift, who was named the track’s Rising Star for 2023 earlier this week, will also be presented his award on Saturday.
The top equine athletes will also be lauded and here is the list of award recipients for this meet.
Pacer of the Meet – Stranger Things (Western Terror-Southwind Prairie)
Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel and James Ruether, owners – Angelo Nappo, trainer.
Stranger Things had 17 starts with 6 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds that earned him $52,000 in purses, which was the most won by any pacer competing at the Downs this meet. Stranger Things competed against some of the best pacers on the grounds all season and could be counted on to show up week in and week out. For the entire year, Stranger Things won nine races and $71,590 in purses. Stranger Things will be on hand to close out his meet on Saturday night in the featured 9th race.
Trotter of the Meet – Lougazi (Lou’s Legacy-Winning Blade)
Mary Warriner, owner – Ryan Swift, trainer.
Lougazi is a multiple winner of this award and rightfully so, as this 9-year-old war horse has been battling the best at Batavia for six years. In 2023, Lougazi had 16 starts that yielded him four wins, four seconds and four thirds with $54,600 in purses that made him not only the richest trotter of the meet, but the richest horse of either gait overall as of this writing. Overall in 2023 Lougazi had eight wins and $91,295 in earnings.
Mare of the Meet – Louie The Lilac (Sweet Lou-Pineapple Hanover)
Michael L. Torcello, owner – Sam Smith, trainer.
Louie The Lilac started the meet in the non-winners classes and worked her way up to the Open I where she found success twice. She has faced some very tough competition from top flight ship-in mares in her 16 starts this year, yet came out on top seven times during the meet while earning $49,105 in purses. For the entire year, Louie The Lilac has won a total of nine races while putting $69,968 in the bank.
Claimer of the Meet – A Black Diamond (Betterthancheddar-Tricky)
LAV Racing Stable, owner – Russell Bratt, trainer.
Although winning her first race at Batavia in a conditioned event, A Black Diamond made her living in the claiming ranks all year after that and totaled eight wins for the meet, making her the winningest horse of either gait or gender at Batavia Downs this year. And she ended the year stronger than ever, winning five out of her last six starts including four straight in that stretch, earning $48,620 this meet. For all of 2023 A Black Diamond won 13 races and $82,852 in purses.
These awards will be presented trackside in the winner’s circle between the races throughout the night.