The Virgil "Buddy" Raines Distinguished Achievement Award was established in 1996 by
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...
in
Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,832,trainer, Virgil W. Raines. The annual award honors an owner or trainer competing at the track who has shown a dedication to the sport of
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racing through exemplary conduct demonstrating professionalism and integrity.
Recipients
* 1996 -
J. Willard Thompson
J. Willard Thompson (March 30, 1935 – November 3, 2018) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. A former steeplechase jockey, he won three straight training titles at Monmouth Park Racetrack between 1975 and 1977 and again won in 2001. ...
* 1997 -
Daniel Perlsweig
Daniel Perlsweig (May 21, 1926 – February 27, 2018) was an American jockey and trainer in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.
Background
Daniel Perlsweig served with the United States Navy in World War II including time aboard the . When t ...
* 1998 -
Warren A. Croll Jr.
Warren A. Croll, Jr. (March 9, 1920 – June 6, 2008), best known as Jimmy Croll, was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred race horse trainer.
Croll was born in 1920 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. After finishing high school, he attended the U ...
* 1999 -
Joseph H. Pierce Jr.
Joseph H. Pierce Jr. (born June 24, 1927 – June 7, 2018) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer who won 2,256 races during his career.
Joseph Pierce Jr. served with the United States Navy during World War II. The son of a hor ...
* 2000 - Peter Shannon
* 2001 - Dennis Drazin
* 2002 - Sam Fieramosca
* 2003 - Charles & Marianne Hesse
* 2004 - Janet Laszlo
* 2005 - Richard Malouf
* 2006 - John H. Forbes
* 2007 - Ben W. Perkins Sr.
* 2008 - Gerald & Carolyn Sleeter
* 2012 - John Mazza
* 2013 - Everett "Ebby" Novak
* 2014 - Chuck Spina
* 2015 -
Bob Baffert
Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...
* 2016 - Ed Barney
* 2017 - Bob Kulina
* 2018 - Mike Musto
* 2019 - Tim Hills
* 2020 - Leonard Green
* 2021 - Bill Anderson
* 2022 - Millie Fleming