Who have harness racing's sharpest minds selected in the 2023 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable? Trot Insider will feature 'expert picks' in advance of the deadline for this year's contest.
New to the panel of experts in 2023 is Scot Wood, the reigning TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable champion. Wood's stable banked a record $12.8 million in 2022, showing his stable moniker of 'The Kingpin' is certainly warranted.
| Rank | 2022 Stable | Name | City, Province/State | Total Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE KINGPIN | Scot Wood | London, ON | $12,840,595 |
| 2 | MCFARLAND STABLE | Karl Mcfarland | Amherstview, ON | $11,929,373 |
| 3 | MISTER POLYBEAR STABLES | Stephen Harvey | Toronto, ON | $11,257,207 |
| 4 | NGSTABLE | Nick Gallucci | Stouffville, ON | $10,987,837 |
| 5 | BOOM TOWN | Derick Giwner | Massapequa Park, NY | $10,898,544 |
| 6 | TREVISO STABLE | Chico Sernaglia | Brampton, ON | $10,855,000 |
| 7 | AUDREY STEWART STABLE | Audrey Stewart | Dundas, ON | $10,843,378 |
| 8 | THE PAPER STABLE | Lawrence Cohen | Howell, NJ | $10,725,322 |
| 9 | CANAM STABLES | Beth Ling | Springboro, OH | $10,699,353 |
| 10 | MAQUAPIT LAKE STABLE | Mike Antle | Riverview, NB | $10,615,859 |
A fan of harness racing for many years, Wood chose his stable name from his association as a part-owner of Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Zorgwijk Kingpin. He told Trot Insider that his friends and former partners that also participate in the Fantasy Stable "will be beside themselves" to see their associate reveal his hand as one of the 2023 experts.
"In choosing my fantasy stable I ask myself 'can this horse compete or potentially win a Breeders Crown championship?' The Breeders Crown bonus money can be the key to winning the contest."
One of the horses that Wood thinks will have such an opportunity is 2022 U.S. Trotter of the Year, Bella Bellini.
"Bella Bellini dominated throughout 2022 and will likely have to race against the boys a few times this year," said Wood. One of those races comes up this weekend with Bella Bellini drawing post four in the $155,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial at The Meadowlands.
Bella Bellini hit the board in 18 of 19 races in 2022 for trainer 'Nifty' Norman and owner David McDuffee, winning nine while earning more than $1 million to lead all older trotters in purses. Her mark of 1:49.4 was the fastest among all female trotters in 2022 and one of only three sub-1:50 miles for the year. She also beat the sport's top older trotters in the 2022 Caesars Trotting Classic at Harrah's Hoosier Park.
Wood's 2023 TROT Magazine Fantasy Stable selections are as follows:
Group A:
VOLUME EIGHT
Group B:
BELLA BELLINI
Group C:
WALNER PAYTON
Group D:
NIKI HILL
Group E:
KILMISTER
Group F:
ZANATTA
Group G:
ALRAJAH ONE IT
Group H:
COMBUSTION
Group I: Two-Year-Old Colt Pacers:
TOTAL STRANGER
SAN JOSE
Group J: Two-Year-Old Filly Pacers:
CAVIART BELLE
ROCKET DEO
Group K: Two-Year-Old Colt Trotters:
VIC ZELENSKYY
SKY DIVER
Group L: Two-Year-Old Filly Trotters:
STARDUST VOLO
GREENSPRING
Group M: Trainers 1:
TONY ALAGNA
Group N: Trainers 2:
CARMEN AUCIELLO
Group O: Drivers 1:
DEXTER DUNN
Group P: Drivers 2:
TODD MCCARTHY
Group Q: Drivers 3:
JAMES MACDONALD
Group R: Drivers 4:
JODY JAMIESON
Contest entry is now open until 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, May 26. Stables cannot be altered once submitted.
The contest is based on total earnings of selected horses and five percent of the earnings of selected trainers and drivers between May 26, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2023. Follow along all year long!
For the purposes of the fantasy bankroll, the winners (horses only) of the 2023 Breeders Crown Finals will each receive a $200,000 contest bankroll bonus. Once again, in the two-year-old categories, you must select TWO horses in each.
At the end of the year, the first three finishers (based on total stable earnings) will be awarded betting vouchers in the amount of $500 (first place), $300 (second place) and $100 (third place).
Full contest rules are available here. To enter, complete the form below.