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 Canadian driving legend Doug Brown. The Hall of Famer provided his picks for the 2020 Fantasy Stable after a gauntlet was virtually thrown down by a close friend to enter the contest.
"It started out as a challenge from Jackson Wittup," Brown told Trot Insider. "He said 'I'm putting one in, and whoever wins has to buy the first case of beer in Florida [this coming winter].'"
Beer and bragging rights aside, Brown has a couple of horses out at Mike Wade's farm in Little Britain, Ont. and, like virtually every participant, he's pleased to have harness racing back in action in Ontario. One of those horses he thinks will have a big year is 2018 and 2019 Breeders Crown winner Gimpanzee.
Back-to-back Breeders Crown winner Gimpanzee
"He's a great horse, and if they're bringing him back his connections must think he'll be awfully good," said Brown, stating he feels that the trotter has the maturity and size to make that jump to older competition in 2020.
Never worse than fourth for owners Courant Inc. and SRF Stable, and boasting a career summary of 17-1-2 in 23 lifetime starts, Gimpanzee (Chapter Seven - Steamy Windows) is back with trainer Marcus Melander for his four-year-old season after a sophomore campaign that boasted wins in the Breeders Crown, Yonkers Trot, Matron and NYSS Final. Off a stellar 1:52.3 mile in his qualifying debut on May 30 at The Meadowlands, Gimpanzee makes his four-year-old debut in the first leg of the Graduate Series on Sunday (June 14) at Tioga Downs.
Group A:
Amigo Volo
Group B:
Gimpanzee
Group C:
Manchego
Group D:
American History
Group E:
Marseille
Group F:
Haveoneforme
Group G:
Dorsoduro Hanover
Group H:
Sherry Lyns Lady
Group I: Two-Year-Old Colt Pacers:
Dean B Hanover
Marlboro Seelster
Group J: Two-Year-Old Filly Pacers:
Imonabeach Hanover
Three Times A Lady (sold as Emissary)
Group K: Two-Year-Old Colt Trotters:
Glacier Hanover
Damien
Group L: Two-Year-Old Filly Trotters:
The Ice Countess
Gangsta Rat
Group M: Trainers 1:
Ake Svanstedt
Group N: Trainers 2:
Blake Macintosh
Group O: Drivers 1:
Yannick Gingras
Group P: Drivers 2:
George Brennan
Group Q: Drivers 3:
Doug McNair
Group R: Drivers 4:
James MacDonald
Contest entry is now open until 5:00 p.m. (EST) on June 17. 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 June 19* 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 retain the right to possibly cancel, or change the end date of this contest depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the 2020 racing season. Stay tuned to the Standardbred Canada website for more details.
Previously Featured Expert Picks:
► James MacDonald
► Nancy Takter
► Gabe Prewitt
► Emily Gaskin
► Ken Middleton
► Paul Kelley
► Greg Blanchard