from the U.S. Harness Writers Association

Harrisburg, PA — In a first-of-its-kind agreement, the United States Harness Writers Association announced Monday (June 27) that Centaur Gaming-owned Hoosier Park will be the lead title sponsor of next year’s Dan Patch Awards banquet in Las Vegas. The event, to be held at Planet Hollywood on Feb. 26, will be named “The 2017 Dan Patch Awards presented by Hoosier Park.”

The Dan Patch Awards are for top equine and human performers, Harness Horse of the Year honors, as well as the first introduction of the newest member(s) to the Hall of Fame.

The spotlight will shine on Hoosier Park in the fall of 2017 when the Breeders Crown makes its first visit to the Indiana racetrack. But several months prior to that big event, Hoosier Park will help direct the limelight toward harness racing’s equine and human stars thanks to a new partnership with another of the sport’s premier festivities.

The awards, first presented in 1947, are named in honor of one of the great stars of the early 20th century — in any sport — the Indiana-born pacer Dan Patch. Born in 1896 in Oxford, Ind., Dan Patch attracted huge crowds wherever he traveled and set numerous world records. His mark of 1:55-1/4 set at age 9 in 1905 stood for more than three decades and his name and image endorsed products from breakfast cereals to washing machines.

Indiana-sired horses have also garnered national attention more recently, with the most notable examples including 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit and Breeders Crown champions Always B Miki, Color’s A Virgin, and Freaky Feet Pete, all hailing from the Hoosier State.

“Hoosier Park and Centaur could not be more honored to serve as the first title sponsor for these prestigious awards,” said Jim Brown, president and COO of Centaur Gaming. “Considering Dan Patch was an Indiana-bred made the opportunity feel even more appropriate.

“Indiana harness racing is being recognized nationally, with some of the top horses and racing in the country, and sponsoring the 2017 USHWA awards and hosting the 2017 Breeders Crown races should both contribute to making this a year to remember for Indiana racing.”

The 2017 Dan Patch Awards will honor this season’s top performers, including divisional champions plus Trotter, Pacer, and Horse of the Year.

“This is a great opportunity for USHWA to team up with an outstanding racing organization like Hoosier Park to present our 2017 Dan Patch Awards banquet,” said Tim Bojarski, president of the U.S. Harness Writers Association. “We believe the synergy of this partnership will better enhance the promotion of harness racing and its stars throughout the upcoming year and hope it will lead the way for other entities of the sport to work together for the same reason.

“I can promise everyone a night to remember at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Feb. 26, 2017.”

For more information on the Dan Patch Awards presented by Hoosier Park, log onto www.ushwa.org, where all the latest news and announcements will be available throughout the year.