by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — Rock N Roll Heaven, the Dan Patch award winning 3-year-old colt Pacer of the Year, has been selected New Jersey Standardbred Horse of the Year for 2010.

The son of Rocknroll Hanover will be honored at the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board’s 54th annual New Jersey Breeders Awards Luncheon at Charley’s Other Brother Restaurant in Eastampton Township, N.J. at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Rock N Roll Heaven has been selected New Jersey Standardbred Horse of the Year for 2010.

Rock N Roll Heaven, the betting choice for national Horse of the Year, completed his racing career in November with his 16th victory of the year and a 10-race winning streak that included the Little Brown Jug, Breeders Crown, Bluegrass, Tattersalls, Messenger and Matron.

In May, and for the second consecutive year, Rock N Roll Heaven captured the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship at the Meadowlands.

He began his 2010 stakes campaign on May 8 with a victory in the $220,000 Berry’s Creek. One of his few disappointments was getting nipped at the wire by One More Laugh in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace in a 1:47.4 mile, a week after he paced a record 1:47.3 in his elimination race.

Rock N Roll Heaven earned $2,156,192 toward a career total of $2,748,818 for Frank J. Bellino of Bronxville, N.Y. He was bred by Charles, Julie and Francene Nash, and is out of their stakes winning mare Artistic Vision (by Artsplace) and was sired by Rocknroll Hanover, who stands at Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, N.J.

Rock N Roll Heaven was trained by Bruce Saunders and driven in most of his starts by Daniel Dube. The colt’s 2010 record included 16 wins, two seconds and one third from 21 starts with career totals of 20 wins, six seconds and two thirds from 30 starts.

Tickets for the luncheon are $27.50 each and should be ordered from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Markets & Development — Horse Industry, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625 no later than Jan. 19. Call 609.984.4389 for further information.