The awards are named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Finalists Chris Christoforou and Bill Robinson are looking for back-to-back honours in the Driver and Trainer categories, respectively, while Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Mats Sundin will look to collect his first O’Brien trophy with his ace trotter Rotation, who is a finalist in the older trotting horse division.

Christoforou is nominated for his third Driver of the Year title.

The 32-year-old Campbellville resident is en route to a career year this season having won 559 races and purse earnings in excess of $8.2 million.

His rival for national honours is Randy Waples, 38, of Milton, a winner of over $5.8 million and 498 races.

In the Trainer of the Year category, two of Canada’s top conditioners who annually dominate the training charts will compete for O’Brien honours.

Bill Robinson is up for his fourth O’Brien as the country’s top trainer, while Bob McIntosh will look to collect his seventh.

For Robinson, 57, of Hagersville, Ontario, 2003 has been a memorable year.

He trained horses to earnings in excess of $8.2 million, including O’Brien nominee and Breeders Crown champion Art Major, a winner of nearly $1.1 million.

Robinson also managed to top the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) trainers’ standings for 2003 while winning 30 Ontario Sire Stakes OSS events and C$1.5 million in purses.

Windsor based trainer Bob McIntosh enjoyed another successful season in 2003 campaigning winners of over $3.6 million, including OSS contender and O’Brien finalist In Conchnito, a winner of $382,052.

Mats Sundin just might score his first O’Brien Award with his star millionaire trotter Rotation who won numerous stakes during his impressive season including the Maple Leaf Trot, American National and Nat Ray.

Abbey Road C, who collected $298,162 in purse money and numerous stakes victories around Ontario including the Earl Rowe and Frank Ryan, is the other finalist in the Older Trotting Horse category.

The outstanding pacing mare, Eternal Camnation, a winner of 11 of 20 races and $908,346 for the Eternal Camnation Stable of Ohio, will look to collect an unprecedented fourth O’Brien award for a horse.

For the third consecutive year, the Cam Fella daughter is up for divisional honours in the older pacing Mare category following an impressive campaign which saw her sweep the last nine consecutive races of the season including the Breeders Crown and the Milton Stakes.

Carolina Sunshine, a winner of $253,167 and five consecutive races in the fillies and mares open events at Woodbine in the summer is the other finalist.

The gutsy filly Southwind Allaire, a winner of $596,153 and numerous stakes including the Hambletonian Oaks, and Elegantimage is a finalist in the 3-Year-Old trotting filly category along with Canadian Breeders Champion For The Luva Moni, a winner of $319,079.

Three Diamonds champion Glowing Report, a winner of $551,949, is up against the ever-consistent Serious Comfort in the juvenile filly pacing division.

Serious Comfort, a winner of the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final finished on the board in all eight seasonal races.

On the colt side, I Am A Fool, winner of the Breeders Crown and Governor’s Cup en route to a $1.1 million season, is up against Metro Pace victor Camelot Hall who banked $647,435.

Armbro Amoretto is looking for her second O’Brien, this year as a 3-Year-Old.

The Mistletoe Shalee winner netted $800,142 during a stellar season which saw her take 17 top three finishes in 19 races.

Breeders Crown champion Burning Point, a winner of 22 of 29 races and $861,252, is the other finalist.

In the 3-Year-Old pacing colt division, Meadowlands Pace winner Allamerican Theory is up against North America Cup champion Yankee Cruiser.

They dueled as sophomores and they’re back at it again this year.

Art Major and McArdle are the finalists in the older pacing horse division.

Art Major won $1.1 million, the Breeders Crown and Canadian Pacing Derby, and finished first or second in all 11 of his season’s races.

McArdle was a consistent stakes performer, netting $849,222 while finishing on the board in the Breeders Crown, Canadian Pacing Derby and winning the Haughton Stakes.

Peaceful Way was aggressive on track, winning 8 of 10 races, $733,726 and numerous stakes races such as the Goldsmith Maid, and Oakville.

Her impressive season has earned her an O’Brien nomination in the 2-Year-Old filly trotter category.

Forever Starlet, with earnings of $690,717 and top two finishes in all 12 of her races is the other finalist.

In Conchnito, a winner of over $382,000, and Cincinnati Kid, who banked $320,152 in season’s earnings, are the two finalists in the two-year-old trotting colt division.

Hambletonian Champion Amigo Hall is nominated as Canada’s 3-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the year along with OSS star, JM Vangogh, a winner of $301,672.

Dresden Dolly, a winner of $103,241 is looking for her second O’Brien trophy in the older trotting mare category and is up against Malabar Mist, a winner of $130,548.

2003 marks the introduction of a new award, the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship, which was created to recognize the horseperson that best exemplifies the standard of horsemanship demonstrated by Joe O’Brien.

The two finalists for this award are Bill Davis from Surrey, British Columbia and Kevin Wallis from Ironstone, Ontario.

Davis, known as "the dominator" does just that at Fraser Downs in both the training and driving standings.

To date this year, he’s trained 217 winners and horses that have earned $877,000 while driving 334 winners and horses to $1.1 million in earnings.

Kevin Wallis has enjoyed an impressive year, hitting for 419 wins and $2.7 million in purse money, despite missing the first two months of 2003 with a broken elbow.

He has won more than five races on a single card this year on several occasions at Windsor Raceway and Pompano Park.

Wallis captured his first Breeders Crown victory with Burning Point in the $670,000 Breeders Crown Final for 3-Year-Old pacing fillies at The Meadowlands on November 30.

Armstrong Bros.’ Singin For Supper and Armbro Ophelia are the two finalists for the broodmare of the year.

Armbro Ophelia is the dam of Armbro Animate, a winner of $580,464 and Artistic Vision, a winner of $284,050.

Singin For Supper is the dam of O’Brien award nominee, Armbro Amoretto, a winner of $800,142.

One of the 24 horse nominees (excluding the broodmares) will be recognised as Canada's Horse of the Year.

The winners will be announced at the O'Brien Awards banquet on Saturday, January 31, 2004, at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ontario.

A complete listing of nominees follows.

For further information, please contact Kathy Wade Vlaar or Chris Roberts at (905) 858-3060.

2003 OFFICIAL NOMINEES:

Winners to be announced at the O'Brien Awards, January 31st, 2004, at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel, Mississauga, Ontario.

2-Year-Old Filly Pacer Glowing Report Serious Comfort

2-Year-Old Colt Pacer I Am A Fool Camelot Hall

2-Year-Old Filly Trotter Peaceful Way Forever Starlet

2-Year-Old Colt Trotter In Conchnito Cincinnati Kid

3-Year-Old Filly Pacer Armbro Amoretto Burning Point

3-Year-Old Filly Trotter For The Luva Moni Southwind Allaire

3-Year-Old Colt Pacer Allamerican Theory Yankee Cruiser

3-Year-Old Colt Trotter Amigo Hall JM Vangogh

Older Pacing Mare Carolina Sunshine Eternal Camnation

Older Trotting Mare Dresden Dolly Malabar Mist

Older Pacing Horse Art Major McArdle

Older Trotting Horse Abbey Road C Rotation

Broodmare of the Year Armbro Ophelia Singin For Supper

O’Brien Award of Horsemanship Bill Davis Kevin Wallis

Trainer of the Year Robert McIntosh, Windsor, ON Bill Robinson, Hagersville, ON

Driver of the Year Chris Christoforou, Campbellville, ON Randall Waples, Milton, ON

Horse of the Year Announced January 31st, 2004

Courtesy Of Kathy Wade Vlaar, Industry Communications, Standardbred Canada