CHROME’S BIG BREAK, a daughter of the great California Chrome, was named Fort Erie Race Track’s 2024 Horse of the Year at the HBPA Ontario’s Annual Awards recently.
Owned and trained by Pierre Crete, Chrome’s Big Break, four, won six races at Fort Erie from 10 starts at the border oval. She was claimed from her second race at Fort Erie by Crete for $4,000. She is a California-bred who began her racing career this past May at Mountaineer.
Chrome’s Big Break is the first horse to win six races at a Fort Erie meet since 2018. She was also named Best Claim of the Year and Female Claimer of the Year.
EDGAR ZENTENO, named leading jockey led all riders with 39 wins over Kirk Johnson who had 30 and apprentice Alexis Sanchez, 27. Sanchez was named the year’s Leading Apprentice at the HBPA Awards.
MARK LEE BUCHANAN was voted Outstanding Rider by the HBPA Ontario.
JULIE MATHES won her fifth training title with 28 wins. John Simms, who won the HBPA award for trainer, won 19 races. BRUNO SCHICKEDANZ was the top owner with 27 wins over ICON Racing which had 15 wins.
Fort Erie Race Track closed out the 40-day season with $42.5 million in total wagering, down eight percent from its record season in 2023. At the same time, off-track wagering dipped slightly while on-track wagering held steady at $1.93 million.
The track held its popular Tour de Fort on the final day of racing, the 2-mile-and-70-yard race and optional claiming event. A field of eight went to the post but five of the entrants were outdistanced. A sizzling pace of 23.53 and 47.09 was set by General Command and jockey Pierre Mailhot. That runner faded quickly into the stretch the first time, while Baytown Elvis and Kiddie Holiday engaged in a duel. Kiddie Holiday then was sent to the lead into the backstretch and he opened up some six lengths before he too ran out of gas.
It was a patient Leo Salles aboard Nonno’s Little Boy (Giant Gizmo) who moved into the final turn of the marathon event and went on to a 5 3/4 length win for owner Michael Bellissimo and trainer Willie Armata. Phantom Jewel was second, more than 22 lengths ahead of Kiddie Holiday, with the remaining five horses upwards of one-sixteenth of a mile behind.
Opening day for Fort Erie Race Track in 2025 is May 27.
HBPA ONTARIO AWARDS
Horse of the Year/Female Claimer/Best Claim
Chrome’s Big Break
Leading Trainer
Julie Mathes
Leading Owner
Bruno Schickedanz
Outstanding Trainer
John Simms
Outstanding Apprentice Trainer
Robin Voyce
Outstanding Rider
Mark Lee Buchanan
Leading Apprentice
Alexis Sanchez
Male Claimer of the Year
Amazing Success
Female Sprinter
Mountain Sound
Male Sprinter
Victory March
Distance Male
Hiatus
Male Turf Horse
Society Joe
Female Turf
Menagerie
Exercise Rider of the Year
Jahmali Roberts
Groom of the Year
Victoria Bardsley
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