The Wisconsin Harness Horse Association held its annual awards banquet in Madison Jan. 26, honoring the season’s best on the Wisconsin Harness Racing Circuit.
Gabe Wand of Platteville added another Driver of the Year title to his collection, setting a record for the number of consecutive titles by any driver in the state of Wisconsin, four.
Wand is currently ranked second in the state’s racing history for the number of driving titles, trailing Jay Garrels of Clinton by three.
Wand had another banner year on the track, competing in 50 statewide races and coming out victorious in 21 of those races. By adding 14 second-place finishes and 9 third place finishes, Wand only had six races where he was worse than third.
Wand’s point total of 1,475 was more than double that of his nearest competitor, runner-up Driver of the Year Ben Gald of Richland Center, 725.
A pair of horses owned by Gabe and his father Robert Wand of Shullsburg earned racing honors as well. Wand’s Tumbleweed, a three-year-old pacing colt bred and raised by the Wand Family, earned a spot in the Top Ten Pacers for 2012.
Monticello Lu Lu, a three-year-old trotting filly, earned herself a spot in the Top Ten Trotters for 2012 as well as trotting the fastest mile for three-year-old fillies in Wisconsin by winning in 2:11.3 at a race meet in Mineral Point.
South of the border, Monticello Lu Lu was also named Three Year Old Trotting Filly of the Year by the Northern Illinois Colt Association.
C&D Stables of Darlington also brought home a couple of state-wide awards. Francis “Hank” Considine and Scott Douglas owned and trained two horses at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Mineral Point that were honored.
Fox Valley Aaron was named to the Top Ten Pacers for 2012 by finishing in the top three places in each of his five starts. Secrettownoflamont, a three year old pacing filly, garnered two awards for herself. She was named to the Top Ten Pacers as well for winning three of her four starts. One of those wins came at the Iowa County Fair on Labor Day. Her 2:03.4 race time was the fastest mile paced by a three-year-old filly in 2012.
