Driver Yannick Gingras’ Hambletonian victory with Karl in the pouring rain freed him from an 11-year prison sentence reminiscent of a very famous scene from Shawshank Redemption.

by Dave Briggs

There is a famous scene in Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) finally escapes Shawshank Prison after 19 years of meticulously digging a tunnel inch by inch with a rock hammer. As he steps outside into a heavy downpour, he raises his arms in to the heavens, embracing the rain with his freedom.

I thought of that scene Saturday afternoon (Aug. 3) as driver Yannick Gingras punched the sky, did two wild arm swoops and then punched the sky again as buckets of rain fell on The Meadowlands. Gingras’ charge, Karl, had just scratched his way to the wire first in the $1,050,000 Hambletonian in 1:51.3, releasing the Hall of Fame driver from his own 11-year prison sentence. That the emotions were now pouring out of him like never before was understandable given this was his first Hambletonian victory. They were more than fitting given the conditions.

Yet, mere seconds before, for a fleeting moment, he thought he was staring at defeat once again in a race where he has finished second three times in the last 12 attempts.

“At the top of the stretch I thought, ‘Goddammit, this race is getting away from me again’ when Highland Kismet kicked clear for a little bit, but I just had to wait,” Gingras told Gabe Prewitt in the winner’s circle. “I had to wait on mine for a couple of strides and there was tight quarters. I didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize that.”

“Into the stretch of the Hambletonian, Highland Kismet with a big effort first over,” said race caller Ken Warkentin, his voice rising. “T C I is trying to battle back and right there is Karl on the outside with a late lunge. Highland Kismet, Karl on the outside with a final surge. Yannick Gingras and Nancy Takter. He’s king of the Hambletonian. It’s Karl.”

Minutes later, Gingras was overcome with emotions more than once in the winner’s circle, dabbing eyes soaked from within, not above.

“This one’s for my kids,” Gingras told CBS reporter Michael Carter, the driver’s voice shaking slightly. “You know, every year they leave a little disappointed because I’ve lost the race. I see the disappointment in their face for me. To be able to get it done and see the smiles and the tears in their eyes, that’s what it’s all about.”

As far as family goes, how does one process the Takters? Nancy Takter just won her second straight Hambletonian as a trainer to go with the one she won last year with Tactical Approach. She is the first trainer since her father, four-time Hambletonian-winner Jimmy Takter, to win the Hambletonian in consecutive years since he did it in 2014 and 2015 with Trixton and Pinkman, respectively.

Six Hambletonians between father and daughter? Outstanding.

Then there is Jimmy’s wife and Nancy’s mother, Christina. She has owned a piece of three Hambletonian winners, including Karl, whom she shares with Nancy, Barry Guariglia’s Black Horse Racing, Bender Sweden and Karl’s breeder, Crawford Farms (Al and Michelle Crawford).

Christina also owned a piece of Trixton and Pinkman.

But Karl may just be next level. The son of Tactical Landing—Avalicious improved to 15-1-1 in 17 career starts (6-0-1 in seven starts in 2024) and upped his earnings to just shy of $1.8 million with the win.

“I’ve said this about this horse, he knows what this is about,” Nancy told Carter, speaking of the hyper-intelligent Karl. “He knows what he is supposed to do and, obviously, he’s only lost two races in his entire life and the one race I don’t think he actually knows that he lost. So, he’s just an amazing horse. He’s so calm and chill.

“You know sometimes as a trainer you’re a little concerned about having [post 1] in a race like this because they’re on the track for so long before they actually go to the gate… But if any horse could handle post 1 it’s Karl. Just seeing him in the winner’s circle, there were a bazillion people. He just was standing there with his ears up. Nothing was phasing him.”

As for winning her second Hambletonian — third if you count 2010 winner Muscle Massive that she groomed — Nancy said, “It feels amazing. But, you don’t just show up on Hambletonian Day and win. It’s a big process to get this done. You have to buy the horse. Fortunately, we found this horse in Crawford Farms’ consignment. Michelle is a good friend of mine. Crawford Farms stayed in on him. It’s a great ownership group.”

For the Crawfords, it was their third Hambletonian as owners to go with the ones they won in 2018 and 2020 with fillies Atlanta and Ramona Hill, respectively. The Crawfords also bred both Ramona Hill and Karl.

“It was a little bit hairy for a while when the skies opened up,” Michelle said. “But, we’re so excited as breeders and we just put so much love into this sport and to have [Karl] a [Hambletonian] winner now is just so special for all of us.”

That Karl has now won the rubber match of three showdowns with chief rival T C I hopefully is just the beginning of a year-long slugfest that now adds impressive Hambletonian runner-up Highland Kismet, who was just steps from victory.

That Gingras pulled this one out by one length — unlike his 2016 loss with Southwind Frank by a nose hair to Marion Marauder — was not only joyous, it was downright stressful.

“What a horse,” Gingras said. “[Karl’s] an incredible machine and I’m just fortunate to be the one driving him. But there also comes a lot of pressure with that too. I’m so happy we got the job done and I’m glad it’s over.”

On Monday, Gingras started the week by recording his 9,000^th career driving victory. The Hambletonian was win number 9,008. Asked by Prewitt where it stood among the other 9,007, the driver didn’t miss a beat.

“It’s number one in my heart,” he said with a grin.