Harrisburg, PA — The U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has announced the winners of its Dan Patch Awards for excellence in equines and humans. The winners are normally honored at the annual banquet, but that event was cancelled due to the ongoing health crisis, so a special virtual awards show was broadcast on Saturday (Jan. 16) on Facebook Live.

Carter Pinske and Dexter Dunn enjoying Amigo Volo’s victory in the Kentucky Futurity at Red Mile. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

The Dan Patch Awards Show will be archived & available on the USHWA website,  USHWA Facebook page and also on USTA’s YouTube channel, on Sunday (Jan. 17).

Here are the 2020 Dan Patch Award winners in their respective categories:

DRIVER DEXTER DUNN, BREEDER BRITTANY FARMS
REPEAT AS WINNERS IN THEIR DAN PATCH CATEGORY
Dexter Dunn, a nine-time winner of the driving title in his native land of New Zealand before the age of 30, has now been in the U.S. and Canada for two years, and he has been voted Driver of the Year each year. This year was an especially rich one for him as he was the leading money-winning driver last year with almost $11.2 million and driving a number of divisional champions.

In September, October, and November alone, Dunn drove the winners of 26 races worth more than $100,000. He was the regular pilot for Fire Start Hanover, Party Girl Hill, Bettor’s Wish, Kissin In The Sand, Manchego and Amigo Volo. Dunn also won four Breeders Crown races.

Brittany Farms became only the third breeding operation to be the first home of the winners of $200,000,000 despite producing a good many fewer horses than their nearest competitors. They have tied Hanover Shoe Farms as the No. 1 breeders of Breeders Crown winners at 27.

Among the farm’s divisional winners in 2020 were Manchego, Bettor’s Wish, and the undefeated 2-year-old colt pacer Perfect Sting. They were third among breeders in 2020, with their progeny earning more than $5.5 million.

PINSKE STABLES OWNERS OF THE YEAR; KELLY SMITH LEADING CARETAKER
The Pinske Stables which includes Marlys Pinske, her son Karl, and her grandson Carter, had a great year to win the closest vote in all of the Dan Patch categories, 55-48, over another family operation, the Chaffees’ Caviart Farms.

The Pinskes familiar green and gold silks were in various tracks’ winners circles after several victories by the richest 2-year-olds of both sexes, the trotting colt Venerate ($767,914) and the pacing filly Fire Start Hanover ($592,562), along with the leading 3-year-old trotting colt, Amigo Volo, who won the Breeders Crown and the Kentucky Futurity. All three were voted divisional champions.

The winner of the 2020 Caretaker of the Year Award, sponsored by Art Zubrod and Leah Cheverie’s Fair Island Farm, is Kelly Smith, a longtime employee of Hall of Fame trainer Chuck Sylvester. Smith was nominated by Sylvester himself, who called her, “my unsung hero.” Smith began working for Sylvester three decades ago, with one of her first champions being the 1993 Hambletonian Oaks winner Winky’s Goal. Another of Smith’s champion charges and one of her all-time favorite horses is 2013 Breeders Crown champion Spider Blue Chip.

JK SHE’SALADY AND STEAMY WINDOWS PACING AND TROTTING BROODMARES OF THE YEAR
Voted Horse of the Year after going undefeated in 12 freshman starts, the Art Major – Presidential Lady pacing mare JK She’salady, who was the 2014 Horse of the Year after going undefeated at 2, is also showing her quality as a broodmare and is now the 2020 Pacing Broodmare of the Year. Bred and owned by 3 Brothers Stables, JK She’salady (Art Major-Presidential Lady) has produced two outstanding fillies. The Western Ideal miss JK First Lady, a winner of more than $700,000 and a sub-1:50 performer at both 2 and 3, and the Always B Miki distaff JK Alwaysbalady, who won her Breeders Crown elimination prior to finishing second in the final are the mare’s first two foals. Both raced for 3 Brothers Stable.

Steamy Windows, a daughter of Muscle Massive – Commando Queen who was bred and is owned by Order By Stable is the Trotting Broodmare of the Year. The mare produced the Trotter of the Year in the Chapter Seven stallion Gimpanzee. The then 4-year-old won his third Breeders Crown and raised his career bankroll to $2.7 million. Steamy Windows also produced Gimpanzee’s 2-year-old full sister, Iteration, won half of her 10 freshman starts and bankrolled over $300,000.