BALTIMORE, Md.--Jack Fisher was awarded his sixth Leading Trainer Award, and Mr. Hot Stuff, a horse he trains, won the Lonesome Glory Award as 2017's leading earner at the National Steeplechase Association's awards dinner Thursday evening Jan. 18 at the Maryland Club in Baltimore.
Members of Jack Fisher's barn accepted Mr. Hot Stuff's Lonesome Glory award from NSA President Guy J. Torsilieri, center.The dinner and awards ceremony was attended by a crowd of more than 140 that toasted the champions of the 2017 racing season.
Fisher claimed his sixth straight title as champion trainer by wins and smashed his own NSA earnings mark with $1,321,150 in 2017 purses.
Among his winners were Mr. Hot Stuff, Scorpiancer, Moscato, and Doc Cebu.
Jack Fisher at Willowdale RacesHis trophy was presented to him by his father, retired trainer John R.S. Fisher.
"It was great having two such good horses," said Fisher, referring to Scorpiancer and Mr. Hot Stuff. "It was great having Scorpiancer win two in a row in the spring, and having Hot Stuff win the Grand National at age 11."
"I owe that win to Jill Johnson, because she wanted to put him back in training one more year," said Fisher.
"Scorpiancer got hurt last year, but he'll be back this fall," said Fisher. "Hot Stuff will go to Middleburg and Iroquois, and Doc Cebu will do the Grand National and the Gold Cup.
NSA President Guy J. Torsilieri presented the Lonesome Glory Award to the staff members of Jack Fisher's barn who cared for Mr. Hot Stuff through the 2017 season.
Mr. Hot Stuff won the G1 $400,000 Grand National in Far Hill, N.J., last fall, the year's richest race.
His earnings totaled $251,000, well clear of Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose, the G1 Lonesome Glory Handicap winner who finished third in the Grand National.
MR. HOT STUFF and All the Way Jose are finalists for the year's Eclipse Award with Bruton Street-US's Scorpiancer, who was undefeated in his two 2017 starts, the G3 Temple Gwathmey at the Middleburg Spring Races in April and the Iroquois Steeplechase's G1 $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois in May.
The Eclipse Awards will be announced Thursday, Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
The year's leading owner was Bruton Street-US, the racing operation of Maryland friends Mike Hankin, Charlie Fenwick and Charlie Noell.
Bruton Street-US edged Mrs. Johnston for the title with $438,500 in 2017 earnings.
In addition to Scorpiancer, Bruton Street-US raced novice champion Moscato, winner of Saratoga Race Course's Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes and Belmont Park's William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes.
For his own account, Fenwick raced timber champion Doc Cebu, who capped a stellar season with his victory in the International Gold Cup.
AMY TAYLOR ROWE'S Lady Blanco, trained by Leslie Young, won two of her three U.S. starts to reign as the 2017 Life's Illusion Filly and Mare champion.
Lady Blanco will be trained this year by Rowe, who said she is aiming her for the Iroquois races in Nashville, Tenn., this spring.
"Right now, she's jogging the roads like everyone else," said Rowe, who has six horses in training at her farm in Cochranville, Pa. "Frank Steall is riding her. He rode her before her two wins at Montpelier and Far Hills last year."
"I bought her as a 3-year-old at the Tattersall Sales in England," said Rowe of the mare who is now 5. "I wasn't there, but Leslie sent me a video, She had a swag to her. I fell in love with her and said, `Oh, gosh. I've got to have her.'"
"She's all race horse," said Rowe. "She's not mean, but she's opinionated. She wants to be the boss mare."
"I want to get her in a flat race before Nashville," said Rowe, who is getting her NSA training license but not a flat license. "Brianne (Slater) has her flat license, so she'll help me out there. I also want to get her in a jumping race before Nashville. She's still a little green over fences."
Bonnie Rye Stable's Menacing Dennis won the 3-year-old championship with his victory in Far Hills' Gladstone Stakes.
DARREN NAGLE, who had a career year in the saddle, was the NSA's champion jockey with 19 wins, including the Lonesome Glory win aboard All the Way Jose.
Sean McDermott, the regular jockey of Scorpiancer and Moscato, was the leading jockey by purses for the second straight year.
Two other jockey titles ended in ties.
Keri Wolfsont, center, co-winner, Leading. Apprentice JockeyKeri Brion and Keith Dalton tied for the apprentice jockey championship with three wins apiece.
" I'm really proud and honored to accept the leading NSA jockey apprentice award tonight," said Brion, who is married to the flat jockey Andrew Wolfsont. "Thank you to all of the owners and trainers who supported me this year! I am also really grateful to have had two of my best friends by my side for the night, Sheldon Russell and Brittany Trimble.
Mark Beecher and Hadden Frost were tied for the amateur title with seven wins each.
Irvin S. Naylor claimed a record ninth title as the champion timber owner.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot annually presents the Woodville Award to honor the sport's hard-working caretakers.
Receiving this year's Woodville Award were Michael Benson, from the Amy Taylor Rowe stable, and Sara Miller, from trainer Willie Dowling's yard.
"Mike's great," said Rowe. "He was thrilled to win."
