Harness racing's established stars from 2023 are preparing for competition or back in action for 2024, with the majority of those standouts comprising categories in the 2024 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable.
After a previous pedigree analysis in the two-year-old categories, Trot Insider has compiled an overview of the contenders in the heavyweight categories, Groups A and B, as the May 24 deadline approaches.
GROUP A
T C I won the 2023 O’Brien Award as Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year. The freshman trotter enjoyed an exceptional debut season, earning more money on Canadian soil than any other Standardbred in the sport. With 10 victories and two runner-up finishes in 12 starts, the son of Cantab Hall-Nicoles Promise amassed a total of $1,453,370 in North American earnings for U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke, while taking his mark of 1:51.4 at The Red Mile. His notable wins included the $620,000 William Wellwood Memorial and the sensational recovery to capture the $1 million Mohawk Million. He qualified on Friday, May 3 at The Meadowlands, winning in 1:54.2.
Karl was the season’s fastest two-year-old trotter, with a mark of 1:51.2, and earned $1.04 million. He was a nose from being undefeated in 10 starts, with his wins including the Breeders Crown, Valley Victory, Kindergarten Classic Series final and a Kentucky Sire Stakes title. The son of Tactical Landing - Avalicious was named the Dan Patch Award winner as U.S. Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year. He qualified for trainer Nancy Takter on Friday, April 27 at The Meadowlands, winning in 1:52.1.
My Girl EJ is a daughter of Sweet Lou out of Lucys Pearl, making her a full sister to the Ron Burke-trained millionaire Lous Pearlman. She was both the fastest (1:49.1) and richest ($715,835) freshman pacer of 2023 after a season with five wins and 11 top-two finishes from 13 starts. The Breeders Crown champion didn't miss a cheque at two, and returned with a solid second-place finish in her sophomore qualifying debut on May 3 at The Meadowlands.
Pass Line won the O’Brien as the country’s top Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly. During a freshman season in which she reached the winner’s circle 10 times in 13 starts, Pass Line was nothing short of spectacular. Trained by Dave Menary on Canadian soil, the homebred daughter of All Bets Off-Breakheart Pass was a standout in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, winning four of her five Gold events, and capping it off with a convincing Super Final triumph. In addition, she put forth very respectable runner-up finishes in both the Battle Of The Belles and the $700,000 Breeders Crown, earning $682,152 along the way while taking a mark of 1:49.3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Lucas Wallin-trained Soiree Hanover was top three in nine of 10 races and counted the Jim Doherty Memorial among her six triumphs. With $607,955 in earnings, the daughter of Walner - Spring Gala banked more than any other two-year-old trotting filly in 2023, and her solid season garnered divisional honours with the Dan Patch Award as Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year.
Trained by Brian Brown, Geocentric went nine-for-10 and earned $556,251 during her freshman campaign en route to securing U.S. divisional honours. The daughter of Sweet Lou-Geometry was a dual Sire Stakes champion, taking the Pennsylvania and Kentucky titles, and won a Grand Circuit division of the International Stallion Stakes in a lifetime best 1:49.3 at The Red Mile. She returned to action in a qualifier at Harrah's Hoosier Park on May 1, winning in 1:54.4.
Despite being lightly raced as a two-year-old, Captains Quarters certainly made the most of his limited starts. The talented son of Captaintreacherous hit the board in all five starts, which included two trips to the winner’s circle. His most lucrative payday came after he won the Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park, harness racing’s richest race for rookie pacing colts. The win vaulted his earnings to $525,904 for trainer Herb Holland. After hooking wheels in his first qualifying attempt of 2024, Captains Quarters will qualify again on May 6 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Willys Home Run won the 2023 O'Brien Award as Canada's top two-year-old trotting filly. In 10 starts, she found the winner’s circle six times, earning $523,935 under the guidance of trainer Kyle Fellows. The homebred daughter of Archangel-Rite Outa The Park swept all five Ontario Sires Stakes Gold legs, and she never missed the board in her debut season. Her first start of 2024 showed more of the same, winning an elimination of the SBOA Filly Trot on May 3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:56.1.
Captain Albano, the fastest two-year-old male pacer of 2023 with a mark of 1:49.2, won seven of nine races for trainer Noel Daley. The son of Captaintreacherous - Aneglou was a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion in addition to winning Bluegrass and International Stallion divisions. He's the top pick in the 2024 TROT Magazine Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, and also topped Dave Little's initial Road to the Meadowlands Pace. His first appearance of 2024 came on May 3 at The Meadowlands, untested in a qualifier with his mile timed in 1:55.
Legendary Hanover was awarded the 2023 O’Brien Award In the Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt category. The son of Huntsville-Lillian Hanover — a sibling to Linedrive Hanover — found the winner’s circle six times in nine starts last year, while taking a speed badge of 1:50 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The richest payday for the colt came courtesy of his second-place effort in the $970,000 Metro Pace, helping lift his seasonal earnings to $405,100. He's qualified twice thus far for trainer Anthony Beaton, most recently on May 3 at Mohawk in 1:50.4.
GROUP B
World champion, Little Brown Jug and North America Cup winner Its My Show banked nearly $1.2 million in 2023 and he sports a mark of 1:46.4 taken at The Red Mile that placed him as the sport's fastest three-year-old pacing gelding on a one-mile track. The son of Sweet Lou - Put On A Show has qualified twice thus far in 2024 for trainer Linda Toscano, winning both, most recently scorching The Meadowlands on April 27 in 1:49.3. He makes his four-year-old pari-mutuel debut on Monday, May 6 at Oak Grove.
Jiggy Jog S earned $1.05 million as a four-year-old in 2023, and was no worse than second in any of her 11 races, winning eight. Her victories included the Breeders Crown, Dayton Oaks and Graduate Series final, where she defeated male rivals. She was second in the MGM Yonkers International, and she was second in her return qualifier for Team Svanstedt on May 3, 2024 at The Meadowlands, trotting her mile in 1:52.3.
Bythemissal, who was named the 2023 Dan Patch Older Male Pacer of the Year, hit the board in 14 of his 16 starts and earned more than $1.03 million during his four-year-old campaign in 2023. Trained by Ron Burke, the son of Downbytheseaside won the Breeders Crown, the Sam McKee Memorial, the Myron Charna President’s Pace, the Aria Invitational Pace, the Allerage Open Pace and the Potomac Pace. He's qualified once in 2024, finishing an unasked third on April 27 at The Meadowlands while pacing his mile in 1:50.2.
As a six-year-old, Its Academic banked $984,294 to boast the highest bankroll among older male trotters in 2023. The Ron Burke pupil hit the board in 16 of 18 races, with his eight victories topped by the John Cashman Memorial. The son of Uncle Peter - Annapolis won his first divisional title as a result of his solid season, named the 2023 Dan Patch Award winner as Older Trotting Horse of the Year.
Bond was the leading money-earner among three-year-old female trotters, with $901,151 banked. The daughter of Southwind Frank - Boccone Dolce won eight of 13 races, including the Breeders Crown, Elegantimage and Delmonica Hanover, and was second in the Hambletonian Oaks for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Her seasonal efforts resulted in divisional honours, winning the Dan Patch Award as U.S. Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year.
With a stellar summary of 19-5-1 from 27 career appearances while boasting sub-1:49 wins at two (1:48.4) and three (1:48.2), Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe - Fresh Breeze) looks to continue that fine form into her four-year-old season for trainer and co-owner Chris Ryder. The career winner of more than $1.45 million ended her three-year-old season beating older mares in the 2023 FanDuel Open Mare Pace. She qualified most recently on May at The Meadowlands, winning in 1:51.2.
Following a dominant freshman campaign, Sylvia Hanover returned just as strong, and perhaps even better, as a sophomore. The daughter of Always B Miki-Shyaway notched 10 wins in 13 starts at three, totalling $839,375 in earnings, and taking a record of 1:48.1 at The Red Mile for trainers Shawn and Mark Steacy. Her victories included wins in the Fan Hanover, Mistletoe Shalee and Breeders Crown en route to Canadian Horse of the Year honours. Her first appearance of the season came in a qualifier on May 3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, finishing fourth while timed in 1:52.4.
Up Your Deo showed consistency in his sophomore season, as the son of Walner - Grand Stand only missed the top five once in 13 appearances — a sixth-place finish, beaten three lengths. The Ake Svanstedt trainee banked $713,770 in 2023, winning six with major victories in the Yonkers Trot and Earl Beal Jr. Memorial. He was the runner-up in the Breeders Crown and finished third in the 2023 Hambletonian.
Seven Colors etched his name in harness racing's record books last year with a 1:48.1 world record effort in the Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park. It was one of the Andrew Harris trainee's seven sophomore wins, helping lift his bankroll to $686,220. The son of Stay Hungry - Rainbowinthedark has qualified twice at The Meadowlands this year, pacing his most recent mile in 1:51 on May 3.
Two-time O'Brien Award winner Stockade Seelster has returned after back-to-back strong campaigns. The son of State Treasurer-Soiree Seelster notched seven victories in 19 starts in 2023 while bankrolling $677,688. Three of those victories came in Ontario Sires Stakes Gold legs, where he lowered his lifetime mark to 1:48.4. In addition, the Dr. Ian Moore trainee had wins in the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and North America Cup Consolation. He was a vet scratch from his planned four-year-old debut in the Pacey Mindlin Memorial on May 4 at Miami Valley Raceway.
Contest entry is now open, but you have until 5 p.m. (EST) on May 24 to make your selections. You cannot change your stable once submitted.
The contest is based on total earnings of selected horses and five per cent of the earnings of selected trainers and drivers between May 24, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2024. Follow along all year long!
For the purposes of the fantasy bankroll, the winners (horses only) of the 2024 Breeders Crown finals will each receive a $200,000 contest bankroll bonus. Once again, in the two-year-old categories, you must select TWO horses in each.
At the end of the year, the first three finishers (based on total stable earnings) will be awarded betting vouchers in the amount of $800 (first place), $400 (second place) and $200 (third place).
Full contest rules are available here. Enter today using the form below!