De Roode named New England Horse of the Year for 2007

DANVERS – De Roode, a six-time winner at Suffolk Downs last year, was named the 2007 James B. Moseley Horse of the Year by the New England Turf Writers Association at its 66th annual Awards Dinner held Monday.Owned by Aurora Springs Stable and trained by Rafael Ramos, De Roode was the claim of the year in 2007, advancing from the bottom claiming level to compete in stakes company.De Roode was claimed for $4,000 on June 4, 2007 and went on to win his first three starts for Ramos. After a second-place finish over a muddy racetrack, he rebounded to win his next two races, including a 10-3/4-length romp over allowance company. On MassCap Day at Suffolk Downs, he overcame a wide trip to gamely rally for the runner-up spot in the Waquoit Stakes. On closing day at Suffolk, he went out on a winning note with a sharp gate-to-wire win and improved his record to six wins and four seconds after joining the Ramos barn. De Roode went on to have a successful winter campaign at Tampa Bay Downs, which included a victory on April 1 of this year.De Roode had previously been named top older male, while Ramos was awarded the Gerry Sullivan Memorial Award for outstanding trainer. Ramos campaigned a pair of other champions in Awesome Chic and Nijinsky Bullet.Other divisional winners honored at the awards dinner were:Two-year-old filly, Awesome Chic; 2-year-old male, Beijing House; 3-year-old filly, Musical Start; Robert M. O’Malley Memorial Award for a 3-year-old male, What a Trippi; Older female, Nijinsky Bullet; Older male, De Roode; Turf female, Mommyums; Joseph E. Carney Memorial Award for Turf male, Canyon’s Way; Sprinter, Blind River Fox; Cliff Sundberg Memorial Award for a New England-bred, Ask Queenie.Special Achievement awards were given to David Amiss, Clifford Dooley, Brilliant Mrs. W, Milky Way Guy and President’s Intern.Tammi Piermarini was recognized with the Eli Chiat Memorial Award for outstanding jockey; Rafael Ramos received the Gerry Sullivan Memorial Award for outstanding trainer; Richard Fields was given the Lou Smith Memorial Award for yearly achievement; and the Sam McCracken Memorial Award for lifetime achievement went to Francis “Skip” McDonnell.The New England Turf Writers Association also inducted its Hall of Fame Class of 2008, which consists of multiple New England champion Timely Writer, trainer George Handy and track announcer Jim Hannon. The Hall of Fame was founded in 2005. A plaque bearing the names of all of the inductees is on permanent display at the Sports Museum located in the TD BankNorth Garden.