Lexington, KY — The much-anticipated announcement of the 2024 Horse of the Year will be made Sunday night (Feb. 23) at Rosen Centre in Orlando, Fla., during the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s annual Dan Patch Awards banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment.
The weekend’s festivities will kick off on Saturday night (Feb. 22) poolside at Rosen Centre with the Diamond Creek Welcome Reception. In addition to an open bar and appetizers served during the two-hour reception that gets underway at 5:30 p.m., attendees are in for a treat as Dublin Valley Farms and North American Sales Co. proudly present country singer-songwriter Mitch Rosell in concert during the second half beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Any horsepersons at the nearby training centers should note that they are welcome to attend the Saturday Welcome Reception that features Rossell, who has toured as an opening act for Garth Brooks and was a finalist on the TV show America’s Got Talent, where renowned judge Simon Cowell called his audition “brilliant.”
“We are again looking forward to what should be a great weekend honoring harness racing’s best of 2024,” said USHWA president Michael Carter. “And this year we get a bonus in having Mitch Rossell, who is as country as country can get, perform at our poolside Welcome Reception that will kick things off on Saturday.”
In addition, USHWA’s late-night Hospitality Party on Saturday, sponsored by Sweet Lou, will offer an open bar, snacks and pizza, and take place in Signature 2 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. USHWA’s Hospitality Suite 261 will also be open until 1 a.m. for those who wish to casually mingle.