My early pick for Horse of the Year may surprise you.

by Murray Brown

(Editor’s note: This column was written before Saturday night’s (July 8) stakes card at The Meadowlands)

Truisms are thus named because they are always true. One of which I can almost guarantee to be so is that “The older we get, the quicker we get to where we are going.” An adjunct to that might be that we get beyond it even more quickly.

The Meadowlands Pace takes place in less than a week. The Hambletonian is less than four weeks away. The racing season is beyond half over, albeit in terms of quality the best racing is almost certainly still on the horizon.

I sometimes become possessed by the foolish notion that I am capable of predicting the future. In simplistic terms that has translated to trying to be able to predict the outcome of horse races. Having tried to do so without significant success for almost seven decades, I perhaps foolishly haven’t even considered giving up. I obviously never will.

I’ve decided to take my nuttiness even one step further. I won’t predict the winners of the individual races. But I am going to predict at this half-way point in the season the horses that will ultimately become the Dan Patch award winners as the champions of 2023.

Even though it’s almost certainly too early to embark on such an adventure for the older classes, it is most definitely beyond reason to include 2-year-olds in the predictions. So those will wait for another day.

PACERS

3-YEAR-OLD COLT PACERS

At present, the leader in terms of earnings and important wins is It’s My Show ($460,084). I expect that once the season is over the Dan Patch winner will be Confederate ($197,250). I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn’t start his road to seasonal honors with a victory in the Meadowlands Pace next Saturday. Both It’s My Show and Confederate are sons of the Diamond Creek stallion Sweet Lou who is in the midst of his most successful season in the stud.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACERS

In this observer’s view, only one filly is in the running. Her name is Sylvia Hanover. What she has thus far accomplished is awesome.

I’ve been known to sometimes make foolish predictions. Here’s another one. In terms of what I’ve seen this incredible amazon do, I doubt that we’ve even scratched the surface. Thus far, she has not only been unbeatable, but she has yet to be seriously challenged. It’s rare that one sees a pacing filly that one believes might be able to take on and beat the best colts. Sylvia Hanover strikes me as that kind of filly.

Now that I’ve uttered the unthinkable, I hope that it never comes to pass. Not that I don’t think that she might be able to beat the best colts someday, but rather that it is an extremely daunting journey that can challenge even the greatest of horses. I would hope that she stays where she is; a head above all of the other fillies.

One great asset she has in her favor is the great combination of the Steacy family as her trainer and Bob McClure as her driver. I am certain that what is best for the filly will be paramount in her future. Sylvia continues the great line of top fillies sired by Diamond Creek’s Always B Miki.

OLDER MALE PACERS

This is a quality group; both deep and strong. Right now, in terms of money earnings, it’s led by Hellabalou ($367,770), followed by Covered Bridge ($318,860), Lochinvar Art ($274,817) and Leonidas ($263,710). I’d be surprised if any of these leads the parade at season’s end.

My choices for the Dan Patch winner would include the Hanovers: Ruthless, Abuckabett, Allywag, Linedrive and maybe Mad Max. Of those five, only Ruthless is in the top 50 of money winning older pacers at this time. Despite this, any one of them being the recipient of the Dan Patch Award next winter would not surprise me. As my friend Clay Horner has suggested, next week’s Haughton Final will probably go a long way in determining the outcome. They all come from power packed stables. Their sires include Betting Line (2), Sweet Lou, the inimitable Somebeachsomewhere, Captaintreacherous, American Ideal and Always B Miki.

OLDER FEMALE PACERS

Presently, in terms of money earnings, the category is led by the New Zealand import Amazing Dream N ($253,293). I don’t expect her to lead at season’s end, but she is ultra consistent and seems to always get a decent piece of the action. She has a shot.

My choice for the pick of the lot at Dan Patch time would be Grace Hill. I would also include Silver Label and Hot Mess Express in my thinking. The sires are Bettors Delight (2), Always B Miki and Panther Hanover.

TROTTERS

3-YEAR-OLD COLT TROTTERS

At present the reigning Yonkers Trot winner Up Your Deo leads the parade with earnings of $213,800. There are several others who trail including Air Power, Kilmister, Southwind Coors, Gaines Hanover, Oh Well and Ponda Jet. The reigning 2022 top colt Volume Eight has yet to show the exceptional ability that I expected from him. I am in no way going to underestimate the ability of trainer Noel Daley to get one ready for the big race, though. I expect that at Dan Patch time next winter for his connections to be the recipient of the award. I feel that at present there are no great stars in this group.

One unusual note in this category is that six of the top earning 3-year-old male trotters are geldings. I doubt that that has even been close to the case in the entire history of our sport.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTERS

In the same manner that Sylvia Hanover stands way above her contemporaries in the 3-year-old pacing filly ranks, so does Special Way among the 3-year-old trotting fillies. One cannot easily pick the correct word to describe this incredible filly. The first words that come to this mind are “awe inspiring.”

This breed has had an incredible number of great trotting fillies. Even before Hambletonian weekend of her 3-year-old season, I believe Special Way belongs in their ranks. Of course, the job still remains to be done by her. I have little doubt that, if misfortune does not present itself, she will do that and perhaps more.

There is still a lot of racing to take place, but if things continue as they have, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sylvia Hanover becomes the Pacer of the Year for 2023, Special Way becomes the Trotter of the Year for 2023 and Special Way becomes the Horse of the Year.

OLDER MALE TROTTERS

As is often the case, the category presents a mixed bag. There are quite a few good ones and very few, if any, top ones. To these eyes, and to these eyes only, there is nothing resembling a great older male trotter. I believe the foreigners will probably clean our clocks when they come over for the Cashman Memorial and the Yonkers International. As this is written, Keg Stand leads with earnings of $171,160 followed by Hillexotic ($113,496) and It’s Academic ($162,094).

OLDER FEMALE TROTTERS

In relative terms, and perhaps also in actual ones, the older trotting females are better than the older ones. At this
point, my two choices for the best ones are Jiggy Jog S ($130,095) and Bella Bellini ($98,330). When all is said and done, I expect the Bella Bellini will receive the Dan patch Award. Other older trotting mares include Pioneer As, Hey Livvy and Refined.