by Bob Heyden

With an eye towards Valentine’s Day weekend and the announcement of the celebration of International Women’s Day in harness racing, here’s a timeline from the past quarter century highlighting the impact females have increasingly had in our sport.

2000: Jackie Ingrassia becomes the one and only female to drive the winner of a Triple Crown race when she captured the Yonkers Trot with Goalfish (15 3-2-2 on the year).

2001: Two ladies went 1-2 in the HOY balloting: Bunny Lake over Syrinx Hanover. Brooke Nickells almost became the first and only female Hambletonian driver when her Lavecster got fourth (driven by Mike Lachance) in the Classic. She then resumed driving the colt and was second and third in the Kentucky Futurity, the best showing for any lady in the oldest of all Triple Crown events.

2002: Linda Toscano trained Molly Can Do It to the Breeders Crown winner’s circle; never before done by a female conditioner! Zero wins in the first 18 years for the ladies, with 34 wins currently for the fairer sex in just the past 23 editions.

2003: Karin Burgess is the caretaker for Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall, and she’d repeat that in 2006 for Triple Crown winner Glidemaster. Linda Wallis follows Toscano in the Breeders Crown with Burning Point in the 3YOFP.

2004: 3-year-old pacing filly Rainbow Blue holds off Triple Crown winner Windsong’s Legacy (119-98) in the HOY balloting. Sophomore pacing females reigned supreme for the second time in four years.

2005: Casie Coleman trained the new 3-year-old world record holder American Ideal (1:47.4).

2006: Brenda Teague captures the richest Canadian race with Total Truth who won the North America Cup and was voted Pacer of the Year. Kimberlie Miller gets the ladies of Canada on the board in the Breeders Crown with Charley Barley (2YOCP).

2007: Coleman has the rare last-to-first winner in capturing her first Breeders Crown with Moving Pictures.

2008: Coleman comes right back with another female pacer to take the Crown this time with A And G’sconfusion.

2009: Julie Miller gets her extensive Hambletonian career rolling with a fourth place finish with The Chancellor in Muscle Hill’s winning year. Brenda Teague takes the freshman filly pacing Crown with Fancy Filly. Tracy Brainard captures both the Crown and the Messenger (the only female ever to win this triple crown event), with If I Can Dream. Coleman takes the Metro with Sportswriter and would double dip the following year with her first North America Cup. Brainard doubled up in the Crown with Yellow Diamond in clearly the best ever year for the ladies.

2010: Coleman’s aforementioned Sportswriter retired in July 2010 as one of just a handful on either gait to average over $100G per start lifetime.

2011: Coleman wins both the Cane Pace and the Breeders Crown 3YOCP with Betterthancheddar. Toscano’s Chapter Seven dominates in the male sophomore trotting Crown and carried that form over to 2012 and a HOY campaign.

2012: Toscano goes 1-2 in the HOY balloting with Hambletonian winner Market Share second to Chapter Seven. (First time done in 40 years). Coleman wins her first of three Jugs with Michael’s Power, Vegas Vacation the very next year, and Betting Line in 2016. Toscano added Heston Blue Chip in the Crown, a year where she set a female single season best of three divisional winners.

2013: Vegas Vacation was driven by Brian Sears, meaning that each of Coleman’s three Jug winners had a different pilot, with Scott Zeron in 2012 and then Dave Miller with Betting Line in 2016.

2014: Nancy Takter becomes the only winner of the Rising Star that trained the Horse of the Year the same year with JK She’salady. McWicked won the sophomore Breeders Crown four years before being voted HOY in 2018 for Coleman.

2015: Wakizashi Hanover trained by Joann Looney-King won the North America Cup roaring by HOY Wiggle It Jiggleit late. Looney-King is a true pioneer of the industry carving out a path in tandem with Jackie Ingrassia for other women to forge straight ahead.

2016: Betting Line dominated the sophomore set as Coleman’s 12-year run continues; Paula Wellwood becomes the first female trainer to win the Triple Crown with Marion Marauder. Toscano sends out the dominant freshman Walner who has continued that off the track today as well.

2017: Miller wins the Yonkers Trot with Top Flight Angel and is second for the first of two straight Hambletonians with Devious Man followed by Mets Hall. Jamie Macomber wins the sophomore Breeders Crown with Beckhams Z Tam over division champ Downbytheseaside as the Breeders Crown invaded Indiana for the very first time. Atlanta and Manchego meet for the first time in the 2YOFT at Hoosier Park.

2018: Takter takes the 2YOCP Crown with Captain Crunch and duplicates that in 2019 with Tall Dark Stranger. McWicked edged to the doorstep of $5 million career with an award-winning year for Coleman.

2019: Down Under bred super mare Shartin N is named HOY for Looney-King and husband Jim, and to this day is the fastest female ever in 1:46 4. Takter wins both the Cane and NA Cup with Captain Crunch. Tahnee Camilleri joins in the fun with a stirring Breeders Crown score with Dancin Lou, over Pacer of the Year Bettors Wish.

2020: Takter becomes the first female to twice have a HOY with Tall Dark Stranger the winner of both the NA Cup and the Meadowlands Pace. Manchego repeated in the Mare Crown Trot for Takter with Peaky Sneaky thrown in the Crown mix for good measure.

2021: Kathy Cecchin joins the activities/fun with Desperate Man winning the North America Cup (Bulldog Hanover was in there too). Test Of Faith is a filly for the ages and cakewalks to the HOY title.

2022: The greatest rivalry ever — between magnificent mares Atlanta and Manchego — is now history. Remember they won the Hambletonian and Oaks, respectively, in 2018. Both won better than $3 million lifetime.

2023: Toscano doubles her fun with It’s My Show in the NA Cup and the Jug and took the Jugette with Ucandoit Blue Chip for good measure. Takter overcame post 10 with Tactical Approach in the Hambletonian and a bad shuffle in the Kentucky Futurity to nail down Trotter of the Year honors.

2024: Takter goes back-to-back in the Hambletonian, the first time anyone has done this since her dad did so in 2014-15 with Trixton and Pinkman. Twin B Joe Fresh is the likely 2024 HOY and is returning in 2025 to try and duplicate what Moni Maker (1998-99) last did, win HOY consecutively. LADIES RULE!

SPEAKING OF THREE-PEATS…

Three-peating is tough. The Kansas City Chiefs just found out in the Super Bowl how tough it is to do, and it’s the same in harness racing. Here’s a look at some three-peat attempts through the years that ended — or might end — on the one-yard line.

NO PEACE

Peace Corps in the 1989 Hambletonian would have given John Campbell the only Hambletonian three-peat, but the great filly was not on top of her game that day and had to watch the dead-heat race off from the sidelines. Campbell had taken the 1987-88 Hambletonians with Mack Lobell and Armbro Goal, respectively.

UNSATISFACTORY BAR HOPPING

Jimmy Takter almost three-peated in 2016 Hambletonian. Fresh off his stirring score with Trixton in 2014 backed up by Pinkman in 2015, he did have the 2016 final favorite with the most impressive elimination winner, Bar Hopping. But he could only manage fifth in the Marion Marauder Triple Crown year. Takter’s daughter Nancy will try for her three-peat in 2025 on the heels of winning back-to-back with sons of Tactical Landing, Tactical Approach and Karl, respectively.

AKE, OKAY?

Ake Svanstedt won the Hambletonian in 2017 with Perfect Spirit and then four years later with Captain Corey. Now it’s four years later again.

OH BROTHER

Todd McCarthy won the 2022 Hambletonian with Cool Papa Bell and his brother Andy won it with Ramona Hill in 2020. Their brother Luke drove Muscle Hill to victory in 2009 in the World Trotting Derby. Since Luke has recently resurfaced in the U.S., is there any chance all three brothers could do this?