Who have harness racing's sharpest minds selected in the 2024 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable? Trot Insider will feature 'expert picks' in advance of the deadline for this year's contest.
Returning to the panel of experts is trainer Nick Gallucci. The two-time O'Brien Award finalist and multiple O'Brien Award-winning trainer finished fourth overall in the 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable contest and showed that was no fluke with a 13th overall finish in 2023.
One of those horses Gallucci thinks will be interesting to watch through the year is 2023 Breeders Crown winner Southwind Tyrion, his choice in the star-studded Group C.
"I thought Southwind Tyrion finished the year on a huge high and looked like the top aged trotter in North America maybe other than Jiggy Jog S, but time will tell how they match up.
"Also, the connections seem to have a knack for trotters," added Gallucci with a smile.
A son of Muscle Hill - Taylor Jean, Southwind Tyrion posted a 5-2-1 summary from 12 starts in 2023, winning the Breeders Crown and FanDuel finals while hitting the board with top three finishes in the Cashman and Allerage en route to a season with $655,816 in earnings. He finished fifth to stablemate Jiggy Jog S in his seasonal debut this past Saturday, May 18 at The Meadowlands in the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, trotting his own mile in 1:51.3.
Gallucci's 2024 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable selections are as follows:
Karl
Bythemissal
Southwind Tyrion
Silver Label
Clever Cody
Sugar Instead
Buy A Round
Allegiant
Glowing Lou
Set Shot
Millie May Hanover
Ascendance
Hidalgo
Maryland
Kadena
Destiny Deo
Ake Svanstedt
Dr. Ian Moore
Yannick Gingras
Matt Kakaley
James MacDonald
Tyler Borth
Contestants 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 percent 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 your picks below!