As the three-year-old pacing filly division has welcomed a new top talent in the form of Treacherous Dragon, there is one filly yet to take her best shot against the seasonally-unbeaten 2022 Fan Hanover champ — 2021 Dan Patch Award winner Niki Hill.
One of the top pacers of last year, Niki Hill was three-quarters of a length away from a perfect rookie season. Winning nine of 10 starts while amassing more than $960,000 in purses, Niki Hill has made only one sophomore start — a PASS start on May 29 at Harrah's Philadelphia where she made a break as the 1-5 favourite and finished ninth.
Trainer Chris Ryder told Trot Insider that Niki Hill has been sidelined since that miscue, and is progressing well in recovering from a cut to an ankle. He indicated that Niki Hill won't be rushed back to the races but expects her to return to the racing wars for the summer stakes season.
With a mark of 1:50.2 taken in her Shes A Great Lady elim at Woodbine Mohawk Park and then matched in the final, Niki Hill (Always B Miki - Road Bet) is trained by Ryder for the UK's Tom Hill.