Columbus, MN — On the strength of his second consecutive record-setting year MD Magic will grab the headlines heading into this Saturday’s (Feb. 22) annual MHRI meeting and awards banquet.

MD Magic with trainer/driver Nick Roland set Minnesota earnings records in back-to-back years. Dee Leftwich photo.

MD Magic will pick up the hardware as the 3-year-old colt trotter of the year for 2019 with seven wins in 16 starts and a new record of $74,950 earned in a single season in the Minnesota program. He was the first horse to break the $70,000 barrier when he recorded earnings of $70,300 as the freshman champion in 2018. The talented son of Braggart is owned by Set The Pace Racing and trained and driven by Nick Roland.

Major Al-Mar (Glen, Marlene and Jody Wilson/Alexia Kehl) is the runner-up award winner in the category.

The 3-year-old colt pacer of the year will go to SB Bodacious (Mikaela Delgiudice/Rick Magee) with runner-up Burning Blaze (Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and Edward Gutin/Justin Anfinson).

On the female side of the sophomore awards it will be pacing filly Windmeupnwatchmego (Richard Davelaar/Gordon Graham) for the top award, with Sweet Vivian (Timothy Lems/Robert Lems) as runner-up.

Al-Mar Humdinger (Aimes Racing/Elvin Zimmerman) and Lone Pine Shuzy (Wendy Haberberg) will share the award as 3-year-old trotting filly of the year.

The 2-year-old filly trotter of the year goes to Double My Dekker (Jesse, Benjamin and Eric De Long/Justin Anfinson) with Susie’s Sister (Lynchris LLC/Don Harmon) as runner-up.

Freshman colt trotter of the year is Hearduwhispermynam (Jenni King) and the runner-up award goes to Trotterlicious (Rick Bertrand).

Freshman pacing awards will go to fillies Catchmeinadream (Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte/Justin Anfinson) and Huftalookatdatfany (Van Oterloo Stables/Gordon Graham) as runner-up.

The winning freshman pacing colts are Bunkerhill Phil (Gene Miller) and Alright Frankie (Jesse, Austin, and Katlin De Long and Thomas Carey/Justin Anfinson) is the runner-up.

The 4-year-old and up award winners include Al Mar Bonbon (Cara Hauser/Alexia Kehl) as champion trotting mare with Al-Mar Reba Babe (Richard Davis) as runner-up, while Bringoverthemoney (Joshua Horvat/David Ginter) scored the win as top older male trotter over runner-up French Eclipse (Jenni King).

Place’n First (Jenni King) is the winner for older pacing mares with Peekaboo Tattoo (Fabiola Quevedo/Edwin Quevedo) as runner-up, and the final divisional category goes to Deweydiddonegood (Fredi Herrera/Edwin Quevedo) as top older male pacer with Buzz Light (Cathy Dessert/Nick Roland) as the runner-up.

Awards will also be presented for the top performers at the Minnesota Fairs in 2019, with Double My Dekker (Jesse, Benjamin, and Eric De Long/Justin Anfinson) as the fair Trotter of the Year and The Boss’ Wife (Cathy Dessert, Set The Pace Racing/Nick Roland) picking up the hardware as the 2019 fair Pacer of the Year. Brian Detgen will take the fair Driver of the Year award for the second year in a row and Justin Anfinson is the 2019 fair Trainer of the Year.

The 2019 Minnesota Harness Racing awards will be presented this Saturday (Feb. 22) at the MHRI annual meeting and banquet at Vanelli’s by the Lake in Forest Lake, Minn. Check in time starts at 1 p.m. for the annual meetings, with Cocktail hour beginning at 4 p.m. followed by dinner and awards. There will be a traditional banquet raffle as well as a live stallion auction. Banquet attendees will get the chance to nominate and vote for 2019 Minnesota Harness Racing Horse of the Year.