2009 Year End Honors

At the end of the year, we take all the choices for Hot Hands, Hot Hooves and Hot Barns and let our viewers vote to find out who has the Hot Hands, Hooves and Barn of the year.
 
 

HOT HANDS OF THE YEAR


(Photo by Michael Newman)
 

W. Drew Campbell

Wins the Maine Driving Title with 318 wins and over $900K earned. Drew also ranked 19th nationally in wins and 3rd in UDRS. He also grabs driving titles at Scarborough Downs and the Fryeburg Fair.

(1) W. Drew Campbell - 19.2%
(2) Shawn Gray - 13.0%
(3) Jason Bartlett - 10.4%
(4) Heath Campbell - 9.6%
(5) Leigh Fitch/Gary Mosher - 7.9%		 (7) Steven Nason - 5.9%
(8) Robert Dinning - 5.4%
(9) John Beckwith - 4.8%
(10) Kevin Switzer, Jr. - 4.5%
(11) Wallace Watson - 2.5%		 (12) Michael Graffam - 2.3%
(13) Valerie Grondin - 1.9%
(14) Jason MacDougall / Shane Taggart - 1.4%
(16)  Kevin Switzer, Sr. - 1.1%
(17) Paul Battis - 0.6%

 

HOT HOOVES OF THE YEAR


(Photo by Shelley Gilpatrick)
 

RODEO DU RUISSEAU

A winner of 14 races this year in Maine including the Walter Hight Invitational and dominated the winners over ranks for a majority of the year.
(1) RODEO DU RUISSEAU - 12.9%
(2) NEUTRAL COURT - 9.2%
(3) PAR ONE - 8.3%
(4) ANOTHER LINDY / GRACIE GRACIE - 7.7%
(6) BAD BOY BILLY - 7.1%
(7) PREYINGONDAYLITE - 6.0%
(8) MYSTICAL DELIGHT - 5.4%
(9) KEROGEN - 4.0%
(10)  -ON A TEAR - 2.8%		 (11) - BALI MYSTIC - 2.5%
(12) OFF KEEL / SANDTANA SCORE N - 2.3%
(14) COHENUCOPIA / ESCAPEFROMALCATRAZ - 1.7%
(16) MALEK HANOVER / RED BULLET / WORK OUT - 1.4%
(19) FRISKYMOVER / LOADED - 1.1%
(21) FOUR STARZ DRAGON / KEYSTONE NATALIE /
PEMBROKE WHITTNEY / SHADY SABRINA /
VELOCITY HALL - 0.8%		 (26) ARMBRO ANTHONY / BETTER BY DESIGN /
COMMITMENT / FOUR STARZ TRUMP /
FREEDOMS CALL / IDEAL CONDITIONS
LEGAL TROUBLE N / MR NICE GUY /
PEMBROKE SPICE / TRIPLE THREE - 0.6%
(36) DANSAN TED / DREAM WELL - 0.3%
(38) AU ARTIST - 0.1%
 

 

HOT BARN OF THE YEAR


(Photo by Scarborough Downs)
 

Randy Bickmore

Randy captured the State Training Title with 129 wins and $322K+ earned while dominating the Scarborough meet.
(1) Randy Bickmore - 21.1%
(2) Michael Graffam - 11.1%
(3) Valerie Grondin - 7.1%
(4) David Henderson, Sr. - 4.8%
(5) Jon Chenard / Shawn Gray / Joseph Nelson- 4.5%
 (8) Shawn Nye / Steven Vafiades - 4.3%
(10) Michael Hitchcock - 4.0%
(11) Ivan Davies - 3.7%
(12) Philip "Bo" Sowers - 3.4%
(13) Richard Robertson, Jr. / Stanley Whittemore - 3.1%
(15) Gretchen Athearn / Donald Richards - 2.6%		 (17) Robert Dinning / Allie Hiscock - 2.3%
(19) Frederick Ward, Jr. - 1.7%
 (20) Gordon Corey - 1.4%
(21) Stacey Lord - 1.4%
(22) Todd Dubois / Joey Mosher - 0.9%
(24) Bernard Charlton - 0.3%
 

 

2009 Race of the Year


 

ON A TEAR wins the Paul Bunyan Invitational in 1:53.0.
(1) ON A TEAR wins Paul Bunyan Invitational in 1:53.0 - 32.0%
(2) SIGNTHEPAIGE beats undefeated NEUTRAL COURT in an accident marred Stakes Final - 25.0%		 (3) KEROGEN equals state trotting race record at Bangor in 1:57.3 - 23.8%
(4) VELOCITY HALL bests KEROGEN in their first meeting at Scarborough in 1:59.1 - 14.3%		 (5) BATALJ LAUNCHER wins the
 Joseph Ricci Trot in 1:57.4 - 5.4%

 

"MID-LEVEL" DRIVER OF THE YEAR
 (Drivers with 70 - 275 starts)


(Photo by Shelley Gilpatrick)
 

Steven Nason

Following in the footsteps of his father, John and grandfather Arthur, Steven captured 11 wins on the Maine circuit while also racing at Plainridge, and Rockingham.
(1) Steven Nason - 13.3%
(2) Michael Cushing - 9.3%
(3) Joey Mosher - 8.8%
(4) Michael Graffam - 6.8%
(5) Kim Ireland - 6.7%
(6) Brian Blanchard / Scott MacKenzie - 5.3%
(8) Ivan Davies - 4.8%		 (9) Michael Downey - 4.6%
(10) Gregory Annaloro - 4.4%
(11) Todd Whitney - 4.3%
(12) Daniel Dickison - 3.8%
(13) Benson Merrill - 3.0%
(14) Ryan Hall - 2.8%
(15) Philip "Bo" Sowers - 2.6%
 (16) Derek Howes - 2.4%		 (17) Robert Lefebvre - 2.2 %
(18) Douglas Gray - 2.0%
(19) Wilbur Brown - 1.7%
(20) Eugene Pratt / Jerry Watson - 1.2%
(22) Irving Mauran - 1.0%
(23) Kevin Pillsbury - 0.8%
(24) Gary Hall - 0.7%
(25) L. Alex MacDonald - 0.6%

 

"MID-LEVEL" TRAINER OF THE YEAR
 (Trainers with 95 - 160 starts)


(Photo by Shelley Gilpatrick)
 

Michael Graffam

Graffam's stakes heavy stable had 34 wins on the year with a 439 UTRS, was third on the money earning list statewide, ranked second in the Maine Sire Stakes training standings and had 2 final winners from 8 finalists.
(1) Michael Graffam - 11.3%
(2) Stanley Whittemore - 9.5%
(3) Eric Bickmore - 7.8%
(4) Joseph Nelson - 7.5%
(5) Frederick Ward, Jr. - 7.2%
(6) Stacey Lord - 6.7%
(7) David Crochere - 5.6%		 (8) Donald Richards - 5.7%
(9) Rodney Grady - 4.0%
(10) Amy Taggart - 3.4%
(11) Galen Dempsey - 3.2%
(12) Stanley Bubier, Jr. / Paul Hanley - 2.5%
(14) Gary Hall / Linton Quirrion - 2.2%
 (16) Douglas Beckwith / Robert Lefebvre - 2.1%
(18) Lonnie Lefebvre / Timothy Nehila / Randy White - 2.0%
(21) William Dubois / Jason MacDougall - 1.7%
(23) Ronald Alexander / Cheryl Mauran - 1.5%
(25) Douglas Gray - 1.2%
(26) Linda Nelson - 0.9%

 

AMATEUR DRIVER OF THE YEAR


 

Todd Whitney

Todd had 9 wins during the Amateur Driving Series in Maine, was named the US Harness Writers National Amateur Driver of the Year.
(1) Todd Whitney - 13.0%
(2) Randy Bickmore - 9.4%
(3) Ryan Hall - 8.1%
(4) Brewster Burns - 6.8%
(5) Philip "Bo" Sowers - 6.3%
(6) Adam Hanley - 5.4%
(7) Benson Merrill - 5.2%
(8) Frederick Ward, Jr. - 3.5%
(9) Kenneth Watson - 3.4%		 (10) Robert Gray - 3.3%
(11) Mark Harris - 3.0%
(12) Steven Robinson - 2.9%
(13) Linwood Gray - 2.7%
(14) Stacey Lord - 2.4%
(15) Onil Bibeau / Donna Smith - 2.1%
(17) Timothy Nehila - 2.0%
(18) Paul Bresciani / Kenneth Hafford, III - 1.8%
(20) Robert Lefebvre, Jr. / William MacDonald - 1.7%		 (22) Douglas Beckwith - 1.4%
(23) Timothy Wing - 1.3%
(24) Randy White - 1.0%
(25) Charlene Brogan / Charles Eaton, III / David Miller /
Gerald Smith / Anthony Verruso - 0.9%
(30) Michael Creamer - 0.8%
(31) Joseph Burke / John Durfee / Timothy Hudson - 0.7%
(34) Brian Tisbert - 0.4%
(35) Timothy Ferrante - 0.1%

 

GROOM OF THE YEAR

 

Shannon Watson

Shannon was busy this year working for the Gordon Dubois Stable, The Kim & Wendy Ireland Stable and The Joseph Nelson Stable. Her biggest win this year was with ON A TEAR in Bangor's Paul Bunyan. In addition to her groom duties, she also runs a successful embroidery business.

 
(1) Shannon Watson - 11.7%
(2) Bethany Graffam - 10.7%
(3) Tonya Price - 7.0%
(4) Liz Richardson - 6.3%
(5) Steve Wilson - 6.2%
(6) Adam Gray - 6.1%
(7) Robin Gray - 5.2%		 (8) Kasie Price - 5.2%
(9) Amanda Brewer - 5.0%
(10) Donna Fenderson - 4.6%
(11) Derek Bickford - 3.5%
(12) Tammy Sowers - 3.4%
(13) Tiffany Tilton - 3.2%
(14) Ashley Brown / Bobbi Nye- 3.0%		 (16) Nicholas Graffam / Samantha Robertson - 2.9%
(18) David White - 2.8%
(19) Sue Clary / Stephanie May - 1.8%
(21) Karen Letteney - 1.2%
(22) Lindsey Ryan / Andrew Sloat - 0.8%
(24) John Bresnahan - 0.7%


NEWS ITEM OF THE YEAR


Jason Bartlett

Jason Bartlett represents USA in World Driving Championship in Norway and wins Tioga Driving Championship

 
(1) Jason Bartlett represents USA in World Driving Championship in Norway and wins Tioga Driving Championship - 44.9%
(2) BAD BOY BILLY wins three year old trot Stakes final after a year long rivalry with CURRENT CLOSER, then is sold at Harrisburg Sales for $100,000 - 16.9%		 (3) Drew Campbell eclipses $1M in earnings, ranks 19th nationally in wins, 3rd nationally in UDRS - 12.6%
(4) Maine racing icon Ival "Bud" Ciancherre passes away at 83 - 11.4%		 (5) RODEO DU RUISSEAU survives a claiming war at $15K ranks and becomes MHHA Horse of the Year - 10.0%
(6) 2008 Hambletonian participant VELOCITY HALL comes to race in Maine until injury ends season - 4.3%

 

FAVORITE TRACK OF THE YEAR

Scarborough Downs
(1) Scarborough Downs - 21.4%
(2) Windsor Fair - 17.7%
(3) Bangor Raceway / Fryeburg Fair - 15.4%
(5) Northern Maine Fair - 7.7%		 (6) Skowhegan State Fair - 4.3%
(7) Farmington Fair - 3.7%
(8) Cumberland Fair / Oxford Fair - 3.4%
 (10) Union Fair - 2.9%
(11) Topsham Fair - 2.0%
(12) Cornish Trotting Park - 1.4%
(13) Blue Hill Fair - 1.1%

 

Main Page