Who would harness racing's sharpest minds select in the 2020 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable? Trot Insider will feature 'expert picks' in advance of the deadline for this year's contest.
Adding his name to the panel of experts is 2017 World Driving Champion, James MacDonald. The young reinsman, who is gearing up for the 2020 stakes season, provided his picks for the 2020 Fantasy Stable after coming off of a career year in 2019 where he was victorious in the Canadian Pacing Derby while earning more than $3.9 million in purses and making appearances in the winner's circle 181 times. MacDonald provided rationale with an asterisk for his pick in the ultra-deep Group B, where he chose older pacing mare, Caviart Ally.
"She just finished the year off so strong. But Shartin N is a gorilla...they are both amazing, there is no wrong pick," said MacDonald.
Caviart Ally winning the 2019 Breeders Crown for Older Pacing Mares
The iron-tough Caviart Ally has already had a taste of success thus far in 2020 after a Preferred win at the Meadowlands earlier in March where she smoked her foes with a 26.3 final quarter for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling. The now six-year-old mare, who is nearing $2 million in lifetime earnings seems to be aging like a fine wine having earned $759,159 in 2019 with tasteful victories in the Milton, Rainbow Blue, Allerage, Breeders Crown, and TVG.
Group A:
Elver Hanover
Group B:
Caviart Ally
Group C:
Manchego
Group D:
American History
Group E:
Capt Midnight
Group F:
Workin Ona Mystery
Group G:
Cattlewash
Group H:
Captain Victorious
Group I: Two-Year-Old Colt Pacers:
Beach Chief
Gretzky (sold as Full Of It Hanover)
Group J: Two-Year-Old Filly Pacers:
Imonabeach Hanover
Farady Hanover
Group K: Two-Year-Old Colt Trotters:
Maverick
Damien
Group L: Two-Year-Old Filly Trotters:
The Ice Countess
Splash Blue Chip
Group M: Trainers 1:
Nancy Takter
Group N: Trainers 2:
Casie Coleman
Group O: Drivers 1:
Tim Tetrick
Group P: Drivers 2:
Brian Sears
Group Q: Drivers 3:
Doug McNair
Group R: Drivers 4:
James MacDonald
Entries for the 2020 Fantasy Stable Contest have been extended past the initia; May 17 deadline. Stables cannot be altered once submitted. Click here to enter!
The contest is based on total earnings of selected horses and five percent of the earnings of selected trainers and drivers between May 17* and December 31, 2020..
For the purposes of the fantasy bankroll, the winners (horses only) of the 2020 Breeders Crown Finals will each receive a $200,000 contest bankroll bonus. Also, in the two-year-old categories, contestants are once again asked to select TWO horses.
At the end of the year, the winner of the contest will receive entry into and travel to the 2021 World Harness Handicapping Championship, a prize valued at (approx) $1,300.
* PLEASE NOTE: TROT/SC reserve the right to change the entry, start and/or end dates of this contest, depending on how the 2020 harness racing season may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned to the Standardbred Canada website for more details.
Previously Featured Expert Picks:
► Nancy Takter
► Gabe Prewitt
► Emily Gaskin
► Ken Middleton
► Paul Kelley
► Greg Blanchard