Filion, McClure O’Brien Award finalists as harness racing’s top drivers

TORONTO — Once again, Sylvain Filion is a finalist for the O’Brien Award as Canada’s top harness-racing driver.

The Milton, Ont., resident won the award in 2012, ’14 and 2015 and is a finalist for this year’s honour with Bob McClure of Elora, Ont. Filion, the leading money-earning driver this season, has guided 310 winners and amassed over $7.7 million in winnings.

Filion was the regular driver of O’Brien Award finalists Beyond Delight (two-year-old colt pacer), Emoticon Hanover (three-year-old filly trotter) and Yaris Bayama (two-year-old filly pacer).

McClure secured his first-ever O-Brien nomination after leading all Canadian drivers with 561 wins. He has also accumulated over $2.9 million in earnings.

Richard Morneau of Puslinch, Ont., last year’s top trainer, is a finalist for this year’s honour along with five-time winner Casie Coleman of Cambridge, Ont. Moreau leads all trainers with 249 wins and amassed nearly $4 million in earnings.

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Coleman recorded 53 wins and over $2.8 million. Her stable included Bettling Line, an O’Brien finalist as three-year-old colt pacer who captured the Pepsi North America Cup and Little Brown Jug.

Travis Cullen of Rockton, Ont., and Rick Zeron, of Oakville, Ont., are the finalists for the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship. Cullen was nominated in this category last year and was the 2013 Future star winner.

Cullen drove 239 winners and claimed $1.3 million in earnings while training 215 winners and earning $1.2 million.  Zeron had 116 driving wins and $2.6 million in earnings while training 49 winners and registering $1.7 million in earnings.

The award winners will be announced Jan. 28, 2017 in Mississauga, Ont.

The Canadian Press