Last Saturday evening, owners, trainers, drivers and other guests from both sides of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge braved subzero temperatures to make the journey to the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville, Maryland for the annual combined Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association and Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association 2025 Horse of the Year Awards Banquet.
Energetic television personality Heather Vitale served as master of ceremonies for the Cloverleaf Awards ceremony, while Jackie MacLeod, president of the Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association, provided speaking points for the breeder awards. Both groups recognized the numerous equine and human participants who were very successful the previous year.
Among the winners, Cloverleaf named Caviart Trenton for champion two-year-old pacing colt or gelding, Miss Val’s Way for freshman filly pacer, Y’all Got No Shot for juvenile two-year-old trotting colt or gelding and finally And Just Like That for champion freshman filly trotting. Both Y’ll Got No Shot and And Just Like That were owned, bred and trained by Richard Hans, who left with a bevy of trophies from both groups.
Then, second-year pacers Playin For Real (3yocp), Post Jolene and Ragtime Red (co-3yofp), Yall Keep Dreaming (3yoct) and KJ The Thirteenth (3yoft) were recognized, as were aging pacers Sheer Terror and Phoenix Rising and senior trotter College Tuition. Babes All In was named Ocean Downs Horse of the Year, while Don’tmesswithles was named Rosecroft Horse of the Year. Saulsbrook Boomer was named the best male claimer, while Lady Khan was labeled the female claimer.
This year, Cloverleaf also honored double-millionaire trotter JL Cruze and longtime local owner, driver and racing advocate Kenneth Weckstein with a Legacy Award. The group granted special recognition status to Beau Jangles, the undefeated two-year-old pacing colt owned by Graham Grace Stables LLC, Kiwi Stables LLC and Bolton Stables, as well as the well-traveled Lou’s Starr, who won races on four different ovals and earned a place in the Little Brown Jug last summer.
Cloverleaf also recognized the Great Frederick Fair and the Great Pocomoke Fair as Enduring Contributors, awarded the Foundation Award to longtime rider Phyllis Copeland and honored Joe & Joann Thomson of Winbak Farm with the Lifetime Achievement Award, highlighted by Bettor’s Delight’s achievements both on the track and in breeding.
MacLeod and the Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association honored more than a dozen horses for their respective achievements on and off the track.
Better Gon (2yocgp), That’sloveto (2yofp), Booger Bear (2yocgt) and And Just Like That (2yotf); Brooksforreal (3yocgp), Post Jolene (3yofp), Yall Keep Dreaming (3yocgt) and KJ The Thirteenth (3yoft) and Babes All In (elderly pacer), Phoenix Rising (elderly pacing mare), Judge Bob (elderly trotter) and Call Me Goo (elderly trotter mare), together with the stallions More The Better N (elderly pacer) and Yall Beneath Me (elderly trotter) were also recognized by the breeders.
MacLead recognized Cheri Stambaugh, the former head of the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund, and Pete Szymanski, general manager of Ocean Downs, with Appreciation Awards. Winbak Farm was selected for the Heritage Breeding Award, longtime local sportswriter Ted Black was selected for the Media Appreciation Award and Katie Herman was selected for the Thomas Cooke Award. There is also a scholarship program established by Cloverleaf named after Cooke.
The Mid-Atlantic Driving Club recognized Alexandra Goldin as the winter-spring competition champion, Mark Sheridan as the fall competition champion and Steven Robinson as the year-end leading driver, coincidentally accepting the award from fellow amateur driver Eugene Robinson.
Cloverleaf also recognized a number of human awards for both their recent and long-term achievements. Trainer Mackenzie Kiel and driver Justin Walters were selected as Rising Star winners, Jonathan Roberts was honored as leading driver for the winter-spring competition, while Russell Foster took home the leading driver trophies at Ocean Downs last summer and Rosecroft in the fall. Johnny Crites, Jr. was honored as leading trainer for both Rosecroft meetings, while Andrew Fulton earned leading conditioner honors for Ocean Downs.
#Cloverleaf #MSBA #celebrates #champions