With phenomenal trotting filly Mission Brief entering the discussion as a possible entrant in the 2015 Hambletonian against the boys, Trot Insider looks back at the last filly to win the prestigious race.
It was 1996, and it was a banner year for strong trotting fillies. The Hambletonian Oaks was captured in straight heats by the Bill Andrews-trained and Wally Hennessey-driven Moni Maker in 1:54.1 and 1:55.3. Moni Maker would go on to capture her own glory while competing against world's best trotters as an aged competitor.
Two fillies -- Act Of Grace and Continentalvictory skipped the Hambletonian Oaks in favour of the race many consider the biggest prize in all of harness racing: The Hambletonian. Both trotted faster than Moni Maker, with Contintentalvictory winning the first heat in a world record time of 1:52.1 and Act Of Grace finishing second, timed in 1:53.
Is this one of the races that fans have selected as one of the top 40 on-track moments of the last 40 years? Check out the December issue of TROT Magazine to find out.