Hollywood’s Hits: Indiana-breds set for Horse of the Year glory
No matter which of the three Indiana-breds wins the Horse of the Year for 2016, history will be made.
Let’s start with Hannelore Hanover
Four-year-old trotting mares are 0-69 in the long history of the ballot.
Ron Burke would be rewarded with his very first HOY.
The last trotting female to win HOY also had 17 wins — Bee A Magician in 2013
Now to Wiggle It Jiggleit
With a win, George Teague would have his third HOY trophy. No trainer with three or more trophies has ever missed making the Hall Of Fame.
WIJI is the first horse to lead in earnings (trotters and pacers) in back-to-back years since Albatross did it in 1971-1972.
WIJI is pacing’s earnings record holder for two consecutive seasons with over $3.9 million made in 2015-2016.
The last three- and four-year-old pacer to be named HOY both years was Cam Fella in 1982-83.
Montrell Teague would be the youngest and second youngest to win the award having taken it down last year at age 25.
WIJI is the only double-season millionaire to lead in earnings in a different season, too.
Finally, Always B Miki
He would be the first pacing HOY for Jimmy Takter, and his first HOY in 17 years.
(It already gives Sweden bragging rights to the fastest trotter ever Ake Svanstedt 1:49 and 1:46 flat for Takter with ABM).
He would be the first world race record holder to be voted HOY since Somebeachsomewhere in 2008.
David Miller and Jimmy Takter would then be the first trainer/driver of the Horse Of The Year to have already been inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
Takter would be the first trainer to follow back-to-back Trotter of the Year titles (Shake It Cerry-Pinkman) with a pacer named Horse Of The Year.
Jimmy Takter would join only Stanley Dancer and Delvin Miller as conditioners who won the Horse of the Year both before and after going into the Hall Of Fame:
Dancer — 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969 (year of induction) then 1971, 1972 and 1976.
Delvin Miller — 1954, then inducted in 1968, then won again in 1974.
Takter won it three straight years, starting with Malabar Man in 1997 then two straight with Moni Maker in 1998-1999.
Etcetera
• In that epic Jennas Beach Boy race of June 22, 1996 at the Meadowlands in the Haughton (then Driscoll), 1:47.3 over Riyadh, the third-place finisher was Trump Casino.
• Muscle Hill has sired the top four earning trotters of 2016 — with Swan For All the other millionaire (Hannelore Hanover).
• Never have the top two finishers in the HOY ballot competed against each other (ABM and WIJI). The 2016 Ballot will likely change that.
• Trainers with a male and female Horse Of The Year: Takter — 1997 Malabar Man; 1998-1999 Moni Maker; Glen Garnsey — 1978 Abercrombie, 1981 Fan Hanover; Joe O’Brien — 1955-56 Scott Frost, 1970 Fresh Yankee; George Teague — 2004 Rainbow Blue; 2015 Wiggleit Jiggleit
• Just what is it about Hambletonian Day? The following three superstars missed the board on that day only — Rainbow Blue in 2004; Always B Miki in 2016 and Wiggle It Jiggleit in 2015.