With the first major events of the 2022 Grand Circuit season now complete, many of harness racing's top performers from 2021 will soon be returning for the upcoming stakes season.
Many of those horses comprise the 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable, with entries closing on Friday, May 27. Trot Insider will break down the contenders in each category as the deadline approaches. (All entries and results information is up to date as of publication.)
Our first feature looks at the contenders in groups G and H, with features of the remaining groups to be posted in advance of the contest deadline.
Group G
Valentina Blu (Chapter Seven - Corazon Blue Chip) took a mark of 1:58.1h in a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers Raceway and hit the board in nine of her 13 two-year-old starts. She finished second in the $294,580 Kindergarten Final and third in the 2021 Mohawk Million for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse, N.Y. At the time of this writing, she's yet to make any starts in 2022 as a three-year-old.
Richard Bertihiaume’s homebred pacing mare Voelz Delight (Bettors Delight – Voelz Hanover) grabbed many cheques as a two- and three-year-old in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, finishing second in the Super Final at two and third at three. She hit the board in five of her six Grand Circuit engagements, including a third in the $425,000 Fan Hanover. She has yet to race as a four-year-old.
American Courage (American Ideal – Nota Fool Bluechip), a homebred for Fiddlers Creek Stables LLC, won the $500,000 Messenger Final in 2021 but battled soundness through the season. Exiting the Cane Pace, trainer Travis Alexander said the horse “thumped” – dealt with strong diaphragm spasms – that caused the horse to finish seventh. His season ended short when an MRI showed bruising on the toe of his coffin bone following a fifth in the first heat of the Little Brown Jug. He has qualified twice in 2022, most recently posting a 1:52.4 mile on April 20 at Pocono Downs for trainer Michael Spaccarelli, and will make his seasonal pari-mutuel debut on April 30 at Pocono.
Moni For Lindy (Credit Winner – Live Moni) has earned a cheque in all but one of her 24 starts, with that lone start being her debut as a two-year-old on Aug. 7, 2020 at The Meadowlands. She swept the Massachusetts Sires Stakes with second-place finishes as a two-year-old but returned as a three-year-old to win in all three $60,000 prelims and the $100,000 final. She also finished second to Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Iteration in the $200,000 New York Sires Stakes Final. Domenico Cecere trains the mare for owner Greathorse. She has yet to race in 2022.
Winner of the $350,300 Jim Doherty Memorial as a two-year-old, Darlene Hanover (Chapter Seven – Danielle Hanover) captured the $250,000 Delmonica Hanover at Pocono Downs last year, winning in 1:51.4, and followed that with a 1:53.4 win in the $140,000 Zweig Filly Trot at Vernon Downs. Brett Bittle trains the mare for owners Yankeeland Partners LLP. She has made two starts in 2022 as a four-year-old with her last start coming on Jan. 15 at The Meadowlands, finishing eighth in a conditioned trot.
Goldies Legacy (Always A Virgin – Ag N Au Bluegrass) came to form in the Kentucky Championship Series in 2021, where he scored a near sweep with a 1:49 win in the $250,000 Final. He went on to win another leg of the Indiana Sires Stakes and a $29,000 division of the Pegasus Stakes while also finishing third in the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final. He ended the year finishing runner-up to Bulldog Hanover in a pair of $60,000 stakes at Hoosier. He now races for owners Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC and has made three starts as a four-year-old. His most recent mile was a fifth-place finish at The Meadowlands in a $31,500 Four-Year-Old Open Pace to Red Right Hand, who paced a season’s-best 1:48.1.
Owned by Craig Henderson, Lawrence Minowtiz, Robert Mondillo and Oompas Farm Inc., Ill Drink To That (American Ideal – Margarita Monday) has been a force on the New York Sire Stakes scene, ending his season short at two but going on to win the $200,000 Final as a three-year-old. He grabbed cheques in the Messenger Pace and Little Brown Jug, finishing fifth and fourth in those events, respectively. Chris Ryder conditions the stallion who has raced five times in 2022. His most recent mile was a third-place finish in a conditioned pace at The Meadowlands timed in 1:50.1 on April 16, but he's entered again for the Big M on April 30.
Dont Fence Me In (Captaintreacherous – Mystery Game) mostly cut her teeth in the Kentucky Championship Series as a two-year-old, winning the $250,000 Final. She grabbed cheques in the Bluegrass Stakes, International Stallion Series, $600,000 Breeders Crown Final, $222,111 Kindergarten Final and $359,450 Three Diamonds. Tony Alagna trains the filly – bred by Riverview Breeding LLC – owned by Riverview Racing LLC, Alagna Racing LLC, Steven Head and Pryde Stables Inc. She has yet to start as a three-year-old in 2022.
A homebred of Stouffville, Ont.'s Millar Farms, Silver Label (Bettors Delight - Hidden Gem) amassed a summary of 6-2-0 from eight seasonal starts as a two-year-old for trainer Nick Gallucci while stashing away $341,726 in earnings. Silver Label won her first three-year-old qualifier, scoring in 1:56.1 on Friday (April 22) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Originally in the barn of Carl Jamieson, True Blue Lindy (Always B Miki – Think Pink) was acquired by Pollack Racing LLC and trainer Jeff Cullipher following a 1:51.2 win in the $86,500 Dream Maker Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He won one prelim of Pennsylvania Sires Stakes before taking the $254,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Final and shipping north for the $824,000 Metro Pace, in which he finished fourth. His last start was in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final, where he finished 10th. He has qualified once in 2022, pacing a 1:54.4 mile at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on April 16, and is entered to qualify again on April 27.
Group H
Rockapelo (Rock N Roll Heaven – Capelo Rose) is a New York stalwart. He seldom ventured outside the state and raced as a regular at Yonkers Raceway’s top classes, including a stint in the 2021 Borgata Series, in which he finished second to This Is The Plan. He also raced in the $150,000 Joe Gerrity Memorial, again finishing second to This Is The Plan. He now races in Mark Harder’s barn for owner Bob Di Nozzi and has raced 11 times in 2022, most recently finishing fifth in a conditioned event at Yonkers Raceway on April 25, and is back in for May 2.
Holding an invite to the Elitlopp, Back Of The Neck (Ready Cash – Big Barb) has frequently flirted with high speed. As a three-year-old, he caught eyes leading up to the 2020 Hambletonian with speedy stretch bursts before ultimately finishing third in the $1-million classic. He again showed that speed when storming home to finish second to stablemate Ecurie D in the 2021 $650,000 Breeders Crown Final at The Meadowlands. He holds major wins in the $142,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial and $169,750 Dayton Trotting Derby. Ake Svanstedt trains him for owners Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Judith Taylor and Ake Svanstedt Inc. He last raced on April 23 at The Meadowlands, finishing fifth in a $31,500 Open Handicap.
Wearinmysixshooter (Captaintreacherous – Just Like Kate) hit the board in six of his nine starts as a two-year-old. Most notably, he finished second in the $254,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Final and second in the $824,000 Metro Pace. Nancy Takter trains the colt for owners Michael Hall and Let It Ride Stables Inc. He has yet to race as a three-year-old in 2022.
HP Mama B (Royalty For Life – Winters Jewel) won the Grassroots title as a two-year-old and levelled up to the Gold Series for her three-year-old season, winning in three prelims before finishing fourth in the $225,000 Super Final. She also holds a Grand Circuit victory with a win in the $75,400 Casual Breeze at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Her sophomore season ended with a second-place effort in the $144,825 SBOA Stakes. Benoit Baillargeon conditions the mare he bred for owners Guylaine Picard and Celine Paquin. She has qualified once in 2022, trotting a 1:58.2 mile on April 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Dover In Motion (Dover Dan – Keystone Sadie) has just one blemish to his nine-race card: a sixth-place finish in the Mohawk Million. Otherwise, the Jamie Macomber-trained Indiana bred has won every race he’s competed in, including the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final. He is owned by M And M Racing and Macomber Racing. He has qualified once in 2022, trotting a 1:56.2 mile on March 30 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Mission Accepted (Manofmanymissions – Witty Girl) will be standing his first season of stud at Sugar Valley Farms in 2022 with the plan to continue his racing career. The millionaire owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., David Wills and Weaver Bruscemi LLC competed predominantly at the Open level in Ohio, recording 17 wins from 33 starts. His major wins include the $250,000 Harry Harvey Invitational at Yonkers and the $60,000 Vincennes Invitational at The Meadowlands in 2019. Ron Burke trains the stallion who last raced on Dec. 22, finishing fourth in a $28,000 Open Handicap Trot at Dayton Raceway.
The regally-bred Treacherous Dragon (Captaintreacherous – My Little Dragon) quietly accrued cash in the Kindergarten Series and with wins in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes prelim and the $76,300 Reynolds Memorial before tackling the Breeders Crown, where she finished third in the $600,000 final. She capped her freshman season with second-place finishes in the $222,111 Kindergarten Final and $359,450 Three Diamonds. Brett Pelling trains the filly for owner Hot Lead Farm LLC. She has qualified once as a three-year-old in 2022, posting a 1:57.2 effort on April 19 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
North America Cup contender Stonebridge Helios (Sunshine Beach – Ken Doll J) hit the board in all seven of his starts as a two-year-old and only lost by a combined 3-1/2 lengths. He won three Gold divisions and the $213,170 Champlain Stakes but paced an aggressive mile in the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final and settled for third. John Pentland trains and co-owns the colt with John Fleischman and Angie Stiller. He has yet to race as a three-year-old in 2022.
A homebred for Lindy Farms Of Connecticut, the aptly named Raised By Lindy (Walner – Birthright) hit her best stride after finishing sixth in the $326,850 Jim Doherty Memorial. The Domenico Cecere trainee won both stakes events at The Red Mile and her Breeders Crown elimination, but got caught on the line by Joviality S in the $600,000 final. She has yet to race as a three-year-old in 2022.
Splash Blue Chip (E L Titan – Dunk The Donato) was an under-the-radar filly for trainer Ake Svanstedt. She had only one win as a two-year-old in 2020 but earned cheques in the Breeders Crown and quietly earned money on the New York Sires Stakes circuit as a three-year-old before surprising on Kentucky Futurity day in a $25,000 event at odds of 24-1. She then finished third in both the Breeders Crown eliminations and $600,000 final. Kountry Lane Standardbred now owns the mare who has not raced as a four-year-old in 2022.
To enter the 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable contest, click the following link: 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable Entry Form.