TREVESS IS FORT ERIE'S HORSE OF THE YEAR

RACING CORNER

TREVESS IS FORT ERIE'S HORSE OF THE YEAR

BY JENNIFER MORRISON

Mike burns photo

The HBPA of Ontario recently celebrated the equine and humans from the 2025 Fort Erie racetrack season which concluded on October 21. There were awards handed out in 19 categories during a ceremony at the track.

The 2025 Horse of the Year was TREVESS, who had an undefeated season at Fort Erie for owner Deborah Fletcher and trainer John Simms. The 8-year-old Florida bred mare by Kantharos was obtained by Fletcher in the spring and won her first two starts at Fort Erie including the LongRun After Care Stakes.

Trevess won three more races at Fort Erie including the Horsepeople's Luminary Cup and was also named Female Sprinter of 2025. She was ridden to victory in four of her five wins by Amanda Vandermeersch, who was voted Outstanding Jockey.

“She really surprised me when I first got her,” said Simms about Trevess, who has 17 career wins. “There wasn't much to her. But we started training her and here we are, five for five and two Cups. I want to thank Debbie and [her partner] Steve Gilmour for supporting the track and myself.”

Fort Erie's leading owner, trainer and jockey by wins in 2025 were as follows:

Leading Owner – Dave Andreola's ICON Racing Stables, in just its second year of operation, won its first title with 26 wins from 58 starts, a remarkable 45 percent win rate. Bruno Schickedanz finished second with 15 wins.

Leading Trainer – ANTHONY ADAMO, the trainer for ICON Racing Stables, had the same record as his owner, 26 wins from 58 starters and it was enough to edge perennial leading trainer Julie Mathes, who had 23 wins.

“I want to thank Icon,” said Adamo. “It's a team effort and it's well deserved for everybody. It was all about Icon; they claimed horses that I might have questioned, and I claimed horses that they didn't bring up. This season definitely exceeded [expectations].”

Fort Erie's leading rider was CHRIS HUSBANDS who won 41 races for his fourth title. Juan Crawford was second with 31 wins.

The Fort Erie horsepeople voted for the Outstanding Trainer and Jockey for 2025, SHARON CECCATO and Amanda Vandermeersch.

It's an honour,” said Ceccato, who won 19 of 80 starts with her horses. “It makes me feel pretty good that people voted for me. All the horses were in good order and they got spoiled”.

Among Ceccato's top horses were the Best Male and Female Claimers, MIA AND ME and LEGS LIKE FLATTER.

Voted top exercise rider was NATALIE FROST, who galloped horses for Ceccato, Myckie Neubauer and Paula Loescher. Frost also ran horses in the afternoon and helps Southern Belle racehorse retirement sell horses.

HBPA ONTARIO 2025 RACING AWARDS

Horse of the Year

TREVESS

Owner: Deborah Fletcher. Trainer: John Simms

Leading Owner (by wins)

ICON RACING STABLES

Leading Trainer (by wins)

ANTHONY ADAMO

Leading Jockey (by wins)

CHRIS HUSBANDS

Leading Apprentice

XAREL FORDE

Outstanding Trainer

SHARON CECCATO

Assistant Trainer:

SARAH BUTTIGIEG

Outstanding Jockey

AMANDA VANDERMEERSCH

Groom of the Year

DAVE KARHU

Exercise Rider

NATALIE FROST

Distance Male

SCAT FACTOR

Owner: Logan Friesz. Trainer Alison Jennings.

Distance Female

HOT OMELET

Owners: Ip Hoi Wing, Michael Cheung. Trainer Josh Robillard.

Male Turf Horse

HIATUS

Owners: Jeff Voyce, Greg Athoe, Herb McGirr, Jr. Trainer: Jeff Voyce.

Female Turf Horse

TURF AND SURF

Owner: Ascot Stud, Michael Blake, Sr. Trainer: Michael Blake.

Male Sprinter

VICTORY MARCH

Owner/trainer: John Simms

Female Sprinter

TREVESS

Owner: Deborah Fletcher. Trainer John Simms

Best Claim of the Year

DREAMING OF HOPE

Owner: Icon Racing Stables. Trainer: Anthony Adamo

Male Claimer

MIA AND ME

Owners: J. Vetere, M. Green, S. Ceccato. Trainer: Sharon Ceccato

Female Claimer

LEGS LIKE FLATTER

Owner: Mike Newell. Trainer Sharon Ceccato