In the 28-year history of Canada’s O’Brien Awards, never has both a father and son walked away with individual awards in the same year. That could change in 2017 with Doug McNair a finalist for Driver of the Year and his father, Gregg McNair, a finalist for Trainer of the Year.

The two McNairs were also finalists in 2013 for the same awards, but neither won. In fact, neither has ever won an individual O’Brien Award.

Three-time Driver of the Year Jody Jamieson (2007, 2009, 2011) was also a finalist in 2004 when his father, Carl Jamieson, was a finalist for Trainer of the Year, but neither Jamieson won that year. In 2006, Carl won the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship the same year Jody was a finalist, but failed to win, the Driver of the Year title.

The only other father-son team to earn individual O’Brien nominations the same year was Rick and Scott Zeron in 2010. Rick won the Horsemanship award that year, but Scott failed to win the Driver of the Year crown.

This year, Gregg McNair is a finalist with four-time reigning Trainer of the Year Richard Moreau. Doug McNair is a finalist for Driver of the Year with Louis Philippe Roy, the man who won the O’Brien Future Star award in 2016.

The winners of all the O’Brien Awards will be announced Feb. 3 at a black tie gala at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale.

— Dave Briggs