A special Tuesday (Jan. 26) edition of COSA TV featured driver Austin Sorrie discussing his career as a driver ahead of the 2020 O’Brien Awards, for which he has received a nomination for Rising Star of the Year.
The 21-year-old native of Montague, P.E.I. began driving horses from an early age and had his sights fully set on harness racing.
“My father had horses and right from day one I’d be skipping school to go the barn; just be faking sick to go to the barn,” Sorrie said. “I always used to beat the bed posts off the bed all the time with the whips every time I came home. I went to the track just to collect whips, that’s all I went for.”
Not many people can head into this weekend s O’Brien Awards knowing they have an award secured, but trainer Luc Blais is in that rare position.
The Quebec native, who has become the man in charge training Serge Godin’s Determination Stable, conditions both nominees for Two-Year-Old Trotting Male of the Year Macho Martini and On A Streak. Blais also trains nominee for Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Donna Soprano, but can sit on the edge of his seat as that filly competes for the title against Paul Walker trainee Imextraspecial.
“It was an amazing year,” Blais said. “You know, when you win an O’Brien, for me, it’s the best [award] you can win. Because it touches a lot of people that are around that horse. The owner can be part of that, the groom, the blacksmith.lots of people are involved and they re very happy. That’s why it’s very special when a horse wins an O’Brien Award. We had a lot of thrills this year with the two-year-olds.”
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Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park in Prince Edward Island is pleased to announce that the 2020 O’Brien Awards VIP Gala is officially sold out!
The event, which follows the guidelines and protocols from the Chief Public Health office, is being hosted in Top of the Park on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in conjunction with the 2020 Virtual O’Brien Awards Gala.
Lee Drake and his wife, Jennifer Evans on the Red Carpet for the 2019 O Brien Awards
Lee Drake, Manager of Racing, Brands and Broadcast is looking forward to hosting the event. “We’ve got a great evening planned for our guests including a three-course gourmet dinner, video features, interviews, and special guests including O’Brien Award of Horsemanship finalist, Gilles Barrieau. We will all be tuned in to watch the Virtual O’Brien Awards Gala and are very pleased to have connections to many of the Island finalists with us, family and friends of the Future Star Award finalists, Rachel Andrew
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