by Bob Heyden

On Sunday (Sept. 17), $3.4 million will be on the line at the Red Mile. Confederate, the current favorite for Horse of the Year, returns to the scene of his 1:46.1 all-time mark. That prompted the question: How have Horses of the Year fared at the famed Lexington track? Let’s take a closer look.

MOST UNUSUAL SCENARIO?

Breeder George Segal is synonymous with Lexington and the Red Mile, which he owns in partnership. Yet, one of Segal’s most famous horses, Artsplace, the 1992 HOY, did not race at the Red Mile at all that year— and his season didn’t end until Oct. 17.

MONI MAKER’S FAREWELL

Julie Krone under-saddle with the two-time defending HOY was a truly great moment in 2000. Moni Maker was 7 and said goodbye after a brilliant career. But, she did not compete at the Red Mile in either of her HOY seasons of 1998-1999, mostly because of her overseas schedule.

HOW TOUGH WAS GALLO BLUE CHIP?

Quite tough, I would say. After Gallo Blue Chip’s grueling three-heat Little Brown Jug runner-up finish of 2000, he had nine more starts at 3 and set the all-time earnings record. In those nine starts, he had seven wins and two seconds. One of those wins was the Tattersalls at the Red Mile.

CONTINENTALVICTORY

Bred by Brittany Farms, Continentalvictory was the 1996 HOY and had a fantastic-yet taxing summer. The Hambletonian winner in straight world record heats wound up her HOY season finishing fifth at the Red Mile and was scratched from her finale-also in Lexington.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter Seven holds the record for fewest starts for any HOY. He had 10 starts in 2012 and 20 per cent of those were at the Red Mile, winning a $7,500 open first in 1:51.1 and then the Allerage in 1:50.2. He has since sired a male and female Hambletonian winner — Cool Papa Bell and Atlanta, respectively.

EMOTIONAL TIME FOR BUNNY LAKE

Just 23 days after 9/11, Bunny Lake won the Garnsey Memorial at the Red Mile as she closed out her 2001 season with 19 straight wins.

DURABLE ABERCROMBIE

Abercrombie, the 1978 HOY, started his season with a pair of Red Mile starts — second and then first. His 26th and 27th of 33 starts were also in Kentucky. He took his sophomore mark of 1:54.3 there and set the one-year earnings record for any older horse with a $703,000 haul.

PRECIOUS BUNNY-MIA

Precious Bunny was the 1991 HOY after setting a single-season earnings record and winning 20 of 25 starts. But, he never set the GPS to Kentucky that season. Remember, Artsplace didn’t race in Kentucky in 1992 either, making it back-to-back years that the HOY was absent from the Red Mile.

FRESHMAN FILLY HOY

In 2014, J K She’s A Lady ran the table (12-for-12) and edged out Shake It Cerry for HOY. Start #8 was made in Lexington and helped J K She’s A Lady become the first freshman filly HOY.

CIAO BABY!

In 1997, as he was about to leave the USA and head to Canada for the Breeders Crown and then Italy for the Orsi Mangelli, Malabar Man won at the Red Mile in 1:54 to positively secure the HOY title.

TRAINER-DRIVER HOY

In 1990, trainer/driver Ray Remmen and Beach Towel won the Tattersalls elim and final and then were second in the Bluegrass. Back then, they were contested in reverse order of today.

NO SUZIE

In 1995, C R Kay Suzie was the HOY. She ended her season on Sept. 20. Thus, she did not make it to Kentucky.

SBSW’S TWO FASTEST IN KY

Somebeachsomewhere’s two fastest miles came in Kentucky — both back-to-back. His 1:46.4 in the Bluegrass was the all-time fastest 3YO effort, backed up with a 1:47.4 Tattersalls romp en route to a 20-for-21 career slate and a legendary stallion career that followed.

RECORD SETTER

In 2004, Rainbow Blue posted her career best 1:49.2 taking the Glen Garnsey at the Red Mile. She also had won earlier in the Nadia Lobell. They were two of her biggest scores in a brilliant 20-for-21 season.

USA OR BUST?

It’s tough to be named HOY in the States without a visit or two (see Majestic Son in 2006). San Pail did read that memo and came to the USA in 2011 with both a Nat Ray (now the Cashman) and an Allerage victory to all but wrap up the HOY title — one which he nailed officially with a Breeders Crown tally over Commander Crowe.

PANTASTIC

In 2003, Pan Intended won both the pacing Triple Crown and the Breeders Crown. No other horse has done both — before or since. In his lone Red Mile appearance, he won the Tattersalls.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

In 2007, Donato Hanover won twice at the Red Mile with the two fastest miles of his life. He won the first heat and the second of the Kentucky Futurity in 1:51.1 and 1:50.1, respectively.

PELLING’S FIRST HOY

In 2005, Rocknroll Hanover won at the Red Mile on Oct. 1 and 8 in the Bluegrass and the Tattersalls, respectively. His first crop saw his son Rock N Roll Heaven also win a pair in Lexington. This came before Rocknroll Hanover’s trainer Brett Pelling went back home to Australia for a decade. After his return, he had HOY #2 Test Of Faith in 2021. Pelling trains leading HOY candidate Confederate this year.

CAMPBELL AND GLIDEMASTER

In the 2006 Kentucky Futurity, Glidemaster, en route to HOY honors, won the second leg of the Triple Crown. This came a year after Glidemaster was rank and immature while racing at the Red Mile.

MUSCLE HILL HEADING OUT THE DOOR

Before Muscle Hill retired from racing, he won the 2009 Kentucky Futurity in 1:52.3 and 1:51.1 in 2009. He would then head to Canada and capture the Breeders Crown and call it a career.

WHERE’D HE GO?

Matts Scooter, the 1989 HOY thanks to a 23-for-30 record, time-trialed in Lexington the year before in 1:48.2 to lower Niatross’ mark. Matts Scooter didn’t end up back in Lexington during his HOY season. His Canadian ownership raced him in the Gold Cup final in Ontario on Oct. 1 instead.

NIHILATOR

Sixteen times Nihilator competed on a mile track in 1985 — two of those in the Bluegrass state taking both the Bluegrass and the Tattersalls en route to a 23-for-25 season and HOY honors.

CAM’S SPEED MOMENTS

Nobody remembers Cam Fella in terms of raw speed. But in 1982, as a sophomore heading to his first of two HOY titles, he posted a 1:54 time trial and a 1:54.4 in a $1,500 invitational, both in Lexington. Yet, he didn’t start at the Red Mile in 1983, despite winning his final 28 races in a row.

FAN HANOVER, FROM START TO FINISH

Fan Hanover, the 1981 HOY, started her year at the Red Mile, finishing first and second in May. She also ended her season in Kentucky on Oct. 3 and 9. Of course, she became the first — and still only — filly to win the Jug prior. That more or less sealed the deal as HOY.

CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME HERE?

In 1986, Forrest Skipper was undefeated en route to the HOY title. But he did not compete at the Red Mile. Was he racing elsewhere? Nope. He qualified at Garden State Park on Sept. 27 by 19 lengths and then again on Oct. 4 by 21 1/2 lengths. Hmmmm.

FANCY CROWN

Fancy Crown’s debut in her 1984 HOY season was in a Red Mile qualifier. She later swept the Kentucky Futurity and followed that with a Breeders Crown. That was enough to hold off the battling pacing superstars On The Road Again and Nihilator, then 2. A side note, Fancy Crown was second in the Bluegrass on Sept. 28, 1984, the day the harness world said goodbye to maybe the biggest Red Mile legend ever — Joe O’Brien.

MACK LOBELL

He was second to Napoletano in the 1987 Kentucky Futurity and almost a Triple Crown winner for Chuck Sylvester and John Campbell. It is a trophy which eluded both these Hall Of Famers. At 4, Mack did win a $2,500 invitational in Lexington. No male trotter has gone back-to-back as HOY since.