Counting down your picks, in order of the top on-track racing moments from 1974 to today.

We asked readers on Standardbred Canada’s website to provide us with their selections of the greatest on-track moments from the past 40 years in harness racing. After receiving submissions, we polled readers to choose their top 10 from more than 100 submitted responses. Finally, we ranked the top 40 choices, based on votes received.

#40 - Hot Hitter captures the Little Brown Jug; Herve Filion stands in the bike
September 20, 1979, Delaware County Fair - Following Hot Hitter’s victory in the 1979 Little Brown Jug with Hot Hitter, Herve Filion returns to the winner’s circle standing on the sulky seat, Roman-chariot style. The straight heats win will forever be remembered for Herve’s salute.
(Click to watch/hide video replay.)

#39 - Captaintreacherous wins the Pepsi North America Cup
June 15, 2013, Mohawk Racetrack – Racing from off the pace in the North America Cup, pacing sensation Captaintreacherous looks far from a sure thing around the final turn, surprisingly gapping his cover. But in the stretch, ‘The Captain’ asserts his dominance, and chases down his rivals to capture a thrilling win.
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#38 - Moni Maker wins the Nat Ray in world record time
August 5, 2000, The Meadowlands – Facing a field of top trotters including Magician, Moni Maker - the Queen of Trotting - is very impressive. In victory, she surpasses $5 million in earnings, and sets a world record by winning the race in 1:52.1.
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#37 - The first Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs, broadcast nationally on CBC
September 3, 1977, Flamboro Downs – Governor Skipper and John Chapman capture the first Confederation Cup in gate to wire fashion, in front of a big crowd and a national television audience on CBC.
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#36 - Precious Bunny wins the Little Brown Jug
September 19, 1991, Delaware County Fair – Leaving the gate like a rocket, Precious Bunny and driver Jack Moiseyev take total control of the 1991 Jug, dominating in both his elimination and in the final heat.
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#35 - Shadow Play wins the 2008 Little Brown Jug
September 18, 2008, Delaware County Fair - In a three-year-old season dominated by Somebeachsomewhere, Shadow Play is able to show his remarkable talent in the Little Brown Jug, drawing off to win the in the final heat by a convincing 6 1/4 length margin.
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#34 - Mission Brief trots in 1:50.3 at The Red Mile
October 2, 2014, The Red Mile – Two-year-old trotting filly Mission Brief flashes one of the most impressive juvenile performances of all time. Through fractions of :28, :55.1 and 1:23, she pulls away from her rivals, eventually winning the International Stallion Stakes by 16 lengths, in a world record time of 1:50.3.
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#33 - Yankee Paco wins the Hambletonian
August 5, 2000, The Meadowlands – Despite racing wide the entire mile, Yankee Paco and driver Trevor Ritchie draw off to convincingly win the 2000 Hambletonian. The Doug McIntosh-trained chestnut becomes the first Canadian-sired trotter ever to win the prestigious race.
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#32 - Nihilator sets the world record for an actual race (1:49.3) in 1985
August 3, 1985, The Meadowlands - On Hambletonian day, Nihilator sets a world record, pacing a mile in 1:49.3. It is the first time a horse paces a sub-1:50 mile in an actual race.
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#31 - Continentalvictory beats the boys in the 1996 Hambletonian
August 3, 1996, The Meadowlands – With a $1 million purse on the line, trotting filly Continentalvictory dominates the boys, winning the Hambletonian in wire-to-wire fashion. She bravely holds off race favourite Lindy Lane to win the final heat by a half-length, after setting a stakes record of 1:52.1 in her first heat, earlier that day.
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#30 - Sweet Lou captures his sixth consecutive sub-1:48 win
August 8, 2014, Hoosier Park – With a speed streak for the ages on the line, Sweet Lou heads to Indiana with victory on his mind. Pacing the mile in 1:47.2 in the Dan Patch Stakes, Lou does the unthinkable, recording his sixth sub-1:48 win in a row.
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#29 - Somebeachsomewhere’s 2008 Breeders Crown win in his final race
November 29, 2008, The Meadowlands – In his first race back at The Meadowlands after suffering his lone career defeat in the Meadowlands Pace, Somebeachsomewhere finishes his career with a final display of dominance, defeating Shadow Play by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:48.3.
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#28 - Handle With Care sets world record in the 1974 Western Pace
November 22, 1974, Hollywood Park - After ending an amazing 24 race winning streak in 1974, Handle With Care begins another unbelievable stretch of performances in a season that includes five world records. The pacing mare caps her season by beating a male-dominated field including Armbro Omaha, Armbro Nesbit and Sir Dalrae, in the Western Pace at Hollywood Park. Her world record time of 1:54.4 is the fastest ever paced by a filly or mare, and only the second time any horse has paced a sub-1:55 mile in a race. Albatross was the other.

#27 - Niatross wins the 1980 Meadowlands Pace
July 18, 1980, The Meadowlands - After falling over the hub rail at Saratoga, and then finishing 4th in his Meadowlands Pace elimination, Niatross comes into the Pace final with something to prove. He does exactly that, rebounding from the only two losses of his career to take the Meadowlands Pace by 4 1/2 lengths.
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#26 - Somebeachsomewhere’s world record in the Metro Pace
September 1, 2007, Mohawk Racetrack – Only four races into his career, Somebeachsomewhere is a slim 8-5 race favourite in a Metro Pace that features four horses under 7-2 odds. With a dominating world record 1:49.3 mile, Beach would never again be underestimated.
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#25 - Niatross falls over the hubrail in Saratoga, and is defeated
July 5, 1980, Saratoga - Heading to Saratoga undefeated, the remarkable Niatross is clearly not on his game. After being passed in the upper stretch, Niatross suddenly veers left, over the hub rail and onto the track’s infield.
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#24 - Somebeachsomewhere’s 2008 Pepsi North America Cup victory
June 14, 2008, Mohawk Racetrack – With a near full house crowd at Mohawk Racetrack, the undefeated three-year-old, Somebeachsomewhere thrills the cheering crowd, pulling away to win Canada’s richest harness race. Driver Paul MacDonell parades ‘The Beach’ back to the winner’s circle past his adoring fans in a moment that has become legendary.
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#23 - Mack Lobell winning the Elitlopp in 1988
May 29, 1988, Solvalla - In front of a huge crowd, John Campbell and Mack Lobell, only four years old at the time, leave quickly from the gate and soundly defeat their rivals to win the Elitlopp final.
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#22 - A Worthy Lad completes a second undefeated season in 1990
October 12, 1990, Mohawk Raceway - At odds of 1-to-9, A Worthy Lad enters his final Ontario Sires Stakes race of his three-year-old year with a streak on the line. His wire-to-wire win completes a 30-for-30 first two seasons.

#21 - Moni Maker wins the 1999 Prix d’Amerique
January 31, 1999, Vincennes – With the entire harness racing world watching, trotting mare Moni Maker dominates her rivals in front of a huge crowd in Paris, and then stands statuesque amongst throngs of adoring fans afterwards in the winner’s circle.
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