Mark Etsell will have a number of opportunities to make appearances on stage at the 2023 O'Brien Awards, and that's not a surprise to Standardbred owner Peter Porter.
In harness racing, success does not come overnight, particularly in the breeding business where the outcome of building relationships and the day-to-day hard work that goes into raising future racehorses isn’t realized for many years.
With his stable down to a single broodmare, 77-year-old Yves Filion was hardly expecting to be a finalist for an O'Brien Award as Canadian Standardbred Breeder of the Year in 2023.
The deadline to register an Ontario sire with Ontario Racing’s Standardbred Improvement Program to stand stud in Ontario for the 2024 breeding season without a penalty is due Monday, Jan. 15.