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Dominion Award Recipients

2010
Barbi

Moline

2009
Mary

Lee-Butte

2008
Vincent

Garibaldi

2007
Phyllis

Shetron

2006
Pete Lizarzaburu

2005
Jo Anne Normile

2004
Pam Berg

2003
Neftali Gutierrez

2002
Shirley Edwards
& Jim Greene

2001
Julian "Buck" Wheat

2000
Katherine Todd Smith

1999
Danny Perlsweig

1998
Donald "Peanut
Butter" Brown

1997
Nick Caras

1996
Grace Belcuore

1995
Peggy Sprinkles

1994
Howard "Gelo" Hall

1993
H. W. "Salty" Roberts

Previous Winners

Current Info | About the Dominion Award

		Barbi Moline, 2010 Barbi Moline is the Intake Director for Florida Thoroughbred Rehab and Placement, a division of Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue. Not only has Barbi saved hundreds of Thoroughbreds from the threat of slaughter, but she spearheaded a plan to fund this rescue organization with working with the FHBPA and the local jockey colony.

		Mary Lee-Butte, 2009 Mary Lee-Butte is the Executive Director of Blue Grass Farms Charities and is a woman known for her passion for helping more than 1,500 Kentucky horse farm workers and their families each year. This small but mighty organization provides counseling, educational programs, health services and financial assistance to horse farm workers in central Kentucky.

		Vincent Garibaldi, 2008 Vincent "Vinnie" Garibaldi - an 81-year-old former longshoreman who became a beloved Ocala horse farm worker upon retirement, was last year's winner. Whether it is at the farm or the local race-wagering shop, Vinnie is known for his homegrown wisdom.

		Phyllis Shetron, 2007 Phyllis Shetron is an advocate for the backstretch worker, and one of the founding members of the Finger Lakes Adoption Program.

		Pete Lizarzaburu, 2006 Pete Lizarzaburu is the Social Program Coordinator for the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. Pete's knowledge of immigration issues is especially helpful - and the fact that he is bilingual has made him invaluable to the backstretch workers.

		Jo Anne Normile, 2005 Jo Anne Normile is the founder of the innovative Michigan-base horse rescue operation CANTER (Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Racehorses) which saves low-level claimers from slaughter.

		Pam Berg, 2004 Pam Berg has given 28 Thoroughbreds a new home away from the track, many times rescuing them from a certain death. At her small ranch in Northern California, Pam cleans stalls, feeds, repairs fences--all while working full time as a racing steward.

		Neftali Gutierrez, 2003 Described as a tireless, self-appointed "community leader of the Belmont Park backstretch," Neftali Gutierrez not only worked full-time on the New York Racing Association's daytime cleaning crew, but found time to promote backstretch English classes and was the chief assistant in the recreation department. Neftali passed away in the summer of 2006 - after a long struggle with cancer.

		Shirley Edwards and Jim Greene, 2002 Shirley Edwards and Jim Greene are founders of "The Eighth Pole." Based in New England at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, The Eighth Pole is a non-profit organization that serves the health and substance abuse needs of backstretch workers.

		Julian "Buck" Wheat, 2001 Julian "Buck" Wheat is the unofficial "Mayor" of Churchill Downs. "Mayor" is an apt nickname for the director of horsemen’s relations at the Kentucky track. It was not because of his job that Buck Wheat won the award, however, but because of his little known extracurricular activities on the backstretch that have spanned half a century.

		Katherine Todd Smith, 2000 "There’s no neat or precise definition of Katherine’s qualifications for this award, said Cot Campbell when introducing Katherine at the 2000 luncheon. "However, half of the citizenry and animals within Ocala’s equine community have benefited from her numerous acts of kindness."

		Danny Perlsweig, 1999 Danny Perlsweig has spent more than 50 years in racing (as a jockey and a trainer) and has always appreciated backstretch workers. His training career reached its zenith in 1980, when Lord Avie won the Eclipse Award. More recently, Danny is perhaps best known for his development of the annual Backstretch Appreciation Days at Gulfstream and Monmouth.

		Donald "Peanut Butter" Brown, 1998 Donald Brown is a track photographer at Calder and Gulfstream Park in Florida. When he arrived at the race track 30 years ago he immediately began to help his fellow backstretch workers. If a man or woman was injured, broke, drunk, homeless or simply in trouble, Peanut Butter became the person they turned to in the time of need.

		Nick Caras, 1997 Nick Caras is the Recreation Director for the New York Racing Association, a job title that barely covers all the work he does. He organizes field trips of all kinds for backstretch employees, from whitewater rafting to Bronx Zoo outings to Broadway plays. He also initiated an English-speaking program and started a backstretch fitness center.

		Grace Belcuore, 1996 Grace Belcuore won this award for her dedicated work with ex-racehorses. Grace is the founder and president of the California Equine Retirement Foundation. This non-profit organization provides a permanent home to geldings and an adoption service to rehabilitated, retired racehorses.

		Peggy Sprinkles, 1995 Peggy Sprinkles was our first (but not the last!) winner from Ocala, Florida. Cot Campbell said at the ceremony, "You cannot sum up the qualifications of this candidate in a neatly defined phrase. I will say that she is like the Rock of Gibraltar, with a huge beacon on top, beckoning to every hard luck story on the race track!"

		Howard "Gelo" Hall, 1994 Howard "Gelo" Hall currently works in the Racing Secretary's Office at Pimlico and Laurel, but in his diverse career he has been an exercise rider, groom, trainer and jockey's agent. Cot Campbell summed up Gelo like this: "For over 50 years, at practically every major race track east of the Mississippi River, Gelo Hall has spread sheer, unadulterated goodness."

		Salty Roberts, 1993 Salty Roberts was our very first Dogwood Dominion Award winner. Salty is the founder of the Race Track Chaplaincy program and a veteran race tracker and was a parking lot attendent (at Monmouth and Gulfstream Park) for many years.

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