OakvilleBeaverSportsSPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext.432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com FRIDAY,JANUARY 21,201129WINNINGFORM:Scott Zeron,pic-tured winning arace last seasonat MohawkRaceway,hasquickly becomeone of the topyoung harnessracers in Canada.The 21-year-oldhas been nomi-nated for anOBrien Award asCanadas driverof the year.TheOBrien Awardswill be handedout later thismonth.CLIVE COHEN /NEW IMAGE MEDIALocal driver Scott Zeron following in fathers footstepsBy Herb Garbuttmoney as a trainer and eclipsed the $5-mil-bled the familys chances. Rick Zeron is oncehave to have talent too. You can work hard allOAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFFlion mark for the eighth straight year as aagain up for the OBrien Award ofday but youll just go around in circles.driver.Horsemanship, which will be presented nextThe younger Zeron won 606 races lasthey waited anxiously for theThe moment of truth finally arrived: AndSaturday, while Scott has been nominated asseason, the most victories in the country andannouncement last year, just as theythe winner is.....Per Henriksen.Canadas driver of the year. became one of the youngest drivers to notchThad five times before. The Zeron fam-The words had hardly been spoken whenThe prospect of both Zerons earning their1,000 career wins. But it wasnt easy. As oftenily had been through this before, each timeRicks son, Scott, turned to his mother,first OBrien on the same night makes thisas three times a week he would race at twohoping to hear Rick Zerons name called outJoyce, and said, Dont worry, Ill get one foryears awards dinner even more special totracks, doing an afternoon card in Clintonat the OBrien Awards, which annually hon-us next year.Rick, the veteran driver and trainer.before making the two-hour drive toour Canadas harness racing elite.It was a bold statement for a 20-year-oldIm very proud, said Rick Zeron.Flamboro Downs for the evening races.Zeron was up for the Award ofwho was just finishing his fourth season as a(Scott) has been pounding the pavementI broke a few laws along the way, but I gotHorsemanship following a season in whichdriver. But while Scott Zeron hasnt deliv-pretty hard the last couple of year. Hes real-there, Scott said.he pulled in almost $1 million in purseered on his promise just yet, hes at least dou-ly put his nose to the grindstone, but youSee Scott page 30