As we reach the middle of May, many of harness racing's top performers from 2021 have hit the racetrack in racing action or made their way to prepare for stakes competition with qualifiers.
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 previous feature examined the participants comprising Groups C and D, Groups E and F as well as Groups G and H. This feature looks at the contenders in Groups A and B, with the remaining groups to be profiled in advance of the contest deadline.
GROUP A
The 2021 Dan Patch and O'Brien Award winner as harness racing's top two-year-old trotting filly, Venerable posted historic numbers during her rookie campaign. The daughter of Walner - Jolene Jolene banked more than $1.1 million in her 11 starts, amassing a summary of 9-1-0 with wins in the Mohawk Million, Peaceful Way, Jim Doherty Memorial and Matron Final. She's one-for-one in 2022, winning a NJSS event at The Meadowlands on May 6.
Niki Hill was the top money-earner among two-year-old pacers with $960,784 and earned divisional honours stateside. The filly, by Always B Miki out of Road Bet, won nine of 10 races and finished second in her remaining start. Her victories included the Breeders Crown for two-year-old filly pacers, Shes A Great Lady, Three Diamonds, Kindergarten Classic Series final and a division of the International Stallion Stakes. She qualified most recently at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 10, winning in 1:54.3.
Trotting filly Joviality S posted a record of 9-2-0 from 12 two-year-old starts, with earnings of $895,341. The daughter of Chapter Seven - Pasithea Face counted the NYSS Final, Kentuckiana Stallion Management, Breeders Crown and Goldsmith Maid among her stakes wins, and she picked up where she left off for her connections with a win in her 2022 debut on May 16 at Yonkers Raceway in NYSS action.
Monte Miki was retired on May 3 due to injury and will not race in 2022.
Dan Patch Award winner King Of The North led all two-year-old male trotters in earnings with $657,140. The son of Walner out of Check Me Out won six of 10 starts, and his triumphs included the William Wellwood Memorial, Peter Haughton Memorial and New Jersey Sire Stakes final. He's yet to race or qualify as a three-year-old.
Duly Resolved earned the O’Brien Award as Canada's two-year-old colt trotter of the year in 2021 following a rookie season that boasted an impressive 10 top-two finishes in 12 races with $631,000 in earnings. The son of Resolve - Motown Muscle had three Ontario Sires Stakes wins, a win in an elimination of the William Wellwood Memorial and runner-up finish in the final, along with victories in a division of the Champlain, the OSS Super Final and the Mohawk Million. He finished second in his SBOA elim on Friday (May 13) and has the rail in Saturday's $121,600 SBOA Final.
A daughter of Downbytheseaside out of Silk Purse, Sea Silk won nine of 11 races in 2021, earning $584,092. She captured the Ohio Triple Crown by winning the $300,000 Ohio Sire Stakes final, the Ohio Fair Stakes, and the Ohio Breeders Championship. She also set a world record at MGM Northfield Park in the Sire Stakes final winning in 1:51.1 to become the fastest two-year-old filly in history on a half-mile track. Sea Silk set a track record at Miami Valley in her first sophomore start, winning in 1:50.2.
Prohibition Legal boasted a near perfect rookie season, winning eight of nine races and earning more than $564,000 en route to Canadian divisional honours. The Big Jim - Catch A Wish filly had a perfect six-for-six record in the Ontario Sires Stakes and scored her richest victory in the season finale Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. Her only runner-up performance came in the 2021 Shes A Great Lady Final. Prohibition Legal has qualified twice in 2022, winning most recently on May 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:53.
Already adding to her career bankroll this season, Adare Castle (Muscle Mass - Pacific Edge) won seven of nine races and more than $486,000 in her 2021 rookie season. Her stakes wins included five Ontario Sires Stakes events highlighted by a victory in the season ending OSS Super Final, a division of the Champlain Stakes and an elimination of the Peaceful Way Stakes. On Saturday (May 14) she was a 1:54.2 winner in her SBOA elimination and looms the danger in Saturday's $151,575 SBOA Final.
Betterhavemymoney hit the board in seven of 10 races with four wins and more than $335,000 in earnings, lifting him to O'Brien Award honours as Canada's two-year-old male pacer of the year for 2021. The highlight of his season was a sweep of the elimination and final of Grand River Raceway’s signature event, The Battle of Waterloo. The Betterthancheddar - Whosluckierthanme gelding has yet to qualify or start in 2022.
GROUP B
Bella Bellini, by Bar Hopping out of Bella Dolce, hit the board in 18 of 19 starts, winning 11, to lead all three-year-olds in earnings in 2021 with $1,133,235. Among Bella Bellini’s wins were the Breeders Crown for three-year-old filly trotters, Hambletonian Oaks, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final and Matron Stakes. She finished second by a nose in the Kentucky Filly Futurity and ended her campaign with a third-place finish behind older rivals When Dovescry and Atlanta in the TVG Series Mare Trot final. She's finished second in both of her 2022 starts, most recently timed in 1:50.2.
Test Of Faith, who won 14 of 16 starts and finished second in her other two races, made $1,069,739 en route to U.S. Horse of the Year honours. Her sophomore victories included the Breeders Crown, Empire Breeders Classic, Glen Garnsey Memorial, New York Sire Stakes final, Park MGM Pace, Bluegrass, Matron and Courageous Lady. The four-year-old Art Major - Cannae Cammie mare won her Graduate division on May 14 for her first win of 2022 in two attempts.
Debuting in a qualifier on Tuesday morning, Allywag Hanover earned $1,011,500 in 2021. He won 10 of 19 races, including the Canadian Pacing Derby, TVG Series Open Pace final, divisions of the William R. Haughton and Sam McKee Memorials and Allerage Open Pace. His 1:46.4 triumph in the Allerage equalled the world record for a gelding pacer. The son of Captaintreacherous - Anderosa Hanover also equalled the world record for a gelding pacer on a five-eighths track with a 1:47.2 score in the Always B Miki Invitational at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Jujubee was the top money-earning male trotter this year, with $948,791. He finished no worse than second in 17 of 18 races, winning 14. His victories included the Breeders Crown for three-year-old male trotters, Kentucky Futurity, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final and Phil Langley Memorial. Now four, the son of Creatine out of La Cantera captured the 2021 Futurity in 1:49.3 and the Muscle Hill Trot in 1:49.4 to become the first three-year-old male trotter with two sub-1:50 winning miles. He's qualified once in 2022, a 1:56.1 mile over Spring Garden Ranch in mid-April.
Ohio's 2021 Horse of the Year, Charlie May hit the board in 17 of 22 starts, winning 10 races and earning $879,400. A son of McArdle out of Stipple Hanover, Charlie May’s wins included three legs of the Ohio Sire Stakes, the Carl Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park (in world record time), the Ohio State Fair Stakes, the Ohio Breeders Championship, and the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs. He's finished first, second and third in his three 2022 appearances.
Lyons Sentinel scored 16 top-three finishes in 19 starts for more than $827,000 in earnings en route to a sweep of divisional honours. The daughter of Captaintreacherous - Tutu Hanover put together an impressive seven-race win streak that kicked off in July with the Clara Barton, and included the Lady Liberty, Roses Are Red Stakes, a sweep of the Milton Stakes and ended with the Dayton Distaff in October. She's qualified twice thus far in 2022.
Posting a career year at the age of six, This Is The Plan stashed away $820,429 while winning six times and hitting the board in 18 of 23 races. A son of Somebeachsomewhere - Thats the Plan, This Is The Plan posted victories in the $514,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series Final, Battle of Lake Erie in world record time, Gerrity Memorial and a division of the Roll With Joe. He returned earlier this season for the Borgata, amassing a 2-1-1 summary from six starts but finishing eighth in the Final.
The 2021 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Award winner, Desperate Man (Shadow Play - Dreamlands Latte) captured the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup during his illustrious sophomore year that saw him earn more than $767,000. The O'Brien Award winner comes into 2022 with a mark of 1:49.3s, and he notched his first win of the season in his 2022 Charles Juravinski Memorial elimination on Sunday (May 15) at Flamboro Downs.
After a slow start to the season, Ocean Rock won the Myron Charna President’s Pace, the Ohio Sire Stakes Aged Championship, the Jim Ewart Memorial Pace, the Dayton Pacing Derby, and the Breeders Crown in 2021. Now five, the son of Rockin Amadeus - Ocean Pearl won eight of 18 races and mustered 12 top-two finishes to earn $706,410 during his four-year-old campaign. He's qualified three times in 2022, most recently pacing the Scioto Downs five-eighths mile oval in 1:51.2.
Ahundreddollarbill hit the board in 10 of 13 attempts, winning eight while banking $697,535 during a stellar sophomore season. His major wins included the 2021 Canadian Trotting Classic and the Empire Breeders Championship. A qualifying winner in 1:53 in late April, his first start came in the Graduate leg at the Meadowlands on May 7 where he trotted his mile in 1:52.3.
To enter the 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable contest, click the following link: 2022 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable Entry Form.