If harness racing had a Rookie of the Year Award for its human participants, trainer Jeff Bamond would be a lock to win that award in 2015.

After a number of seasons as an assistant trainer, the 30-year-old New Jersey native took the helm for his father's Bamond Racing Stable at the start of the year. His numbers are more than enviable: From 806 starts, Bamond's trainees have won 134 and banked more than $4.6 million. That total places him fifth among North American trainers behind only Ron Burke, Jimmy Takter, Rene Allard and Tony Alagna.

With a roster full of talented horses, Bamond told Trot Insider that he had pretty high expectations heading into his first year heading up the stable.

"I didn't really know what to expect, just because it's more about the horses," noted Bamond. "We have some really good quality horses and I knew if they performed to the same level they were performing it would be a good season."

To call Bamond's 2015 season just "good" is an understatement. Bamond trains the three highest earning older female pacers this season in Venus Delight, Anndrovette and Krispy Apple. While aged pacing mare Anndrovette didn't bank as much as she did in 2014, she still pocketed wins in the Golden Girls and the Lady Liberty at The Meadowlands en route to a year with $368,000+ in purses.

Another aged pacing mare significantly contributing to the coffers was Krispy Apple. She was predominantly campaigned away from the Grand Circuit, and flourished in the Open ranks at Yonkers Raceway. Her 12 wins were a personal best for a single campaign, and her $347,000+ bankroll was the most she's made since her three-year-old year.

"I ended up not racing her in stakes and just racing her at Yonkers in overnights. And that more than tripled her earnings," said Bamond. "Not knocking heads with the other horses and just putting her one level below then has definitely worked for her.

"I think a lot of people make the mistake of continuing that just because you make stakes payments on horses, halfway through the season you should still be in those races. I think trying to find a spot where they can make the most money is more important than continuing to race in stakes just because you made payments."

Leading the way for Bamond in 2015 were a pair of five-year-olds. Older male pacer Mach It So and older female pacer Venus Delight. Each of these horses enjoyed breakout seasons on the Grand Circuit.

Mach It So won six of 23 starts at five, banking $665,875 -- the second best bankroll for an older pacer in 2015 (behind State Treasurer). His major wins included the William R. Haughton Memorial at The Meadowlands and the Bobby Quillen Invitational at Harrington Raceway while picking up top three finishes in the Jerry Taylor Invitational, the Breeders Crown and the TVG Final.

Venus Delight won eight of 19 starts, with purses of $653,174 earned. That total was most among older pacing mares, and third best among all older pacers. Her major wins included the Blue Chip Matchmaker at Yonkers, the Artiscape at Vernon Downs, the Milton Final at Mohawk Racetrack and the TVG Final at The Meadowlands.

Bamond stressed that a key factor to both of these horses competing and excelling at this level started more than a year ago with a plan on how to campaign these horses as four-year-olds.

"Mach It So, we kind of protected him as a four-year-old...we didn't really stake him to anything. This year I thought he would step up and he definitely did. He was in all the races where he wasn't in anything last year.

"Venus Delight, same thing. I think she showed us after we got her, about halfway through last year, but she wasn't in anything either. We supplemented her at the end of the year, but she showed us that she had a lot of ability."

To place these horses in the proper spots for the transition to older horses has paid off in spades.

"I think it's really important to protect them at four. It's a tough transition and I think if they spend the whole year chasing horses and not passing horses it really affects their confidence," continued Bamond. "I think racing them lightly, keeping them sharp and putting them away sharp, you can bring back a real good five-year-old."

If that plan works out, a recent acquisition could be one of the top older pacing mares of 2017. The Bamonds purchased three-year-old pacing filly Bettor N Better at the Harrisburg Mixed Sale earlier this month. In two stakes starts for Bamond, she's finished third in the Tarport Hap and second by a head in this past Friday's Courageous Lady at Northfield Park.

"I haven't had her very long, only a couple of weeks, but in the short time I've had her I really like her. I think she's got a real good attitude, I think she does have the possibility to step up but it's a really, really tough transition and I would take the same route with her that I did with Mach It So as a four-year-old.

"I think the best way to do it is to protect them a little bit. If they have the talent, you have some patience with them and when they turn five you start to put them in a lot of races."

Bamond stated that Bettor N Better could have one more start before being shut down for the season and turned out with the rest of his stable's stars.

Looking back on a year chalk full of superb performances, with all the wins from the aforementioned horses plus stakes and open winners the likes of P H Supercan and Ideal Cowboy, Bamond's personal favourite was winning one race that had eluded the stable for a number of years.

"Venus Delight winning the Milton, for the fact that Anndrovette had won every race in that division except the Milton," said Bamond. "The one that has she has never won, it was nice to be able to get it...oddly enough, with a different horse, but to pick up the Milton win was really cool."

As award season approaches Bamond's name will likely be mentioned in the conversation revolving the USHWA Rising Star Award, given out annually to a standout trainer and/or driver 35 or younger.

"I had thought it was a possibility...I would appreciate even being considered for it."

Hoping that there's no such thing as a 'sophomore jinx', Bamond isn't setting his sights on anything specific in 2016, but simply looking ahead for another solid season.

"I would sign up 100 percent to have the same kind of season we just had, that would be great for me."