How did the eventual Horse of the Year do on Hambletonian Day?
by Bob Heyden
The 2024 Horse of the Year, Twin B Joe Fresh, returns to the racing wars this weekend at Chester. She raced in and won the Lady Liberty last year on Hambletonian Day and will look to repeat in 2025. What about the other HOY honorees since the Hambletonian moved to NJ in 1981? Let’s take a look at how they did with the brightest lights shining on them.
1981: Fan Hanover — Did not race on Hambletonian Day, but she won the Tarport Hap two nights prior. That would be her last Meadowlands appearance of 1981 becoming the first female pacer to take down the honor.
1982: Cam Fella — Did not race on Hambletonian Day, but he made up for it in 1983 in his HOY repeat season winning the U.S. Pacing Championship in 1:53.2.
1984: Fancy Crown — Won the Hambletonian Oaks the night before in three heats (1-2-1).
1985: Nihilator — Set the world race record of 1:49 3 on the Prakas 1:54.3 world record setting Hambletonian Day. They were 1-2 in the HOY balloting.
1986: Forrest Skipper — Turned the 1986 U.S. Pacing Championship into a match race by his simple presence. Falcon Seelster tried his luck, to no avail, and Forrest Skipper was on his way to HOY honors over fellow undefeated pacer Jate Lobell.
1987: Mack Lobell — Dominated in 1:54 and 1:53.3 in his record-shattering Hambletonian as he marched towards post-season honors.
1988: Mack Lobell — Did not race on Hambletonian Day with good reason, he set a new half-mile track standard, 1:56, at Saratoga less than 24 hours earlier. He lowered Nevele Pride’s mark of 1:56.4 set 19 years earlier.
1989: Matt’s Scooter — Went 1:50.3 in the U.S. Pacing Championship. His 30 starts in 1989 marked the last time any HOY has gone to the post that many times in their award-winning season.
1990: Beach Towel — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
1991: Precious Bunny — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
1992: Artsplace — Captured the U.S. Pacing Championship over a game and determined Shady Daisy. Artsplace would run the table in 1992 and be named HOY for trainer Bob McIntosh, who duplicated that in 1993.
1993: Staying Together — Won the U.S. Pacing Championship for Bob McIntosh in 1:49.1.
1994: Cam’s Card Shark — Did not race on Hambletonian Day. He was instead prepping for his Aug. 13 Adios straight heat score.
1995: CR Kay Suzie — Broke in the Hambletonian elim and lost any chance. Still, her season was strong enough for the year end title.
1996: Continentalvictory — Dominated in 1:52.4 and then a world record 1:52.1 and rode that to the HOY trophy.
1997: Malabar Man — Did the same as Continentalvictory from the year before except in one less Hambletonian Day race because of a format change.
1998: Moni Maker — Won the Cashman in 1:52.4, but did not race on Hambletonian Day in 1999 due to AFib, yet still did more than enough to garner back-to-back year end awards. The last to do so. With five victories, Moni Maker is the all-time winningest Hambletonian Day horse ever.
2000: Gallo Blue Chip — Did not race on Hambletonian Day. From July 19 to Aug. 9, Gallo Blue Chip did not participate in any pari-mutuel races, however he did qualify in Canada on Aug. 9.
2001: Bunny Lake — Won the Mistletoe Shalee good for $400,000 and then bettered the Hambletonian Oaks winner Syrinx Hanover for year-end honors.
2002: Real Desire — Won the U.S. Pacing Championship in a career best 1:48.2 from post 12 and HOY honors as well.
2003: No Pan Intended — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
2004: Rainbow Blue — Lost her only race of 2004 (20-21) making an uncharacteristic break in the Mistletoe Shalee. She was so outstanding all year that she bettered a Triple Crown winner (Windsong’s Legacy) in the final ballot, 119-98.
2005: Rocknroll Hanover — Was second best on Hambletonian Day to 3YOPC track record setter American Ideal in 1:48.1, but when the votes were counted, Rocknroll Hanover was a decisive winner.
2006: Glidemaster — Set a Hambletonian mark of 1:51.1 and also captured the Triple Crown en route to a HOY season for John Campbell and Blair Burgess.
2007: Donato Hanover — Had no issue with either the voters or the best 3-year-old trotters.
2008: Somebeachsomewhere — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
2009: Muscle Hill — Was as advertised with a record 1:50.1 Hambletonian win and a $2.4 million undefeated HOY campaign.
2010: Rock N Roll Heaven — Was edged out by a head in 1:48.2 by Rockin Image in the Oliver Wendell Holmes, but the Bruce Saunders trainee had more than enough in the bank to reap the year end hardware, just like his dad in 2005.
2011: San Pail — Not only won on Hambletonian Day in the Cashman, but he did so in a personal record time of 1:50.4. That nailed down HOY honors for the son of San Pellegrino.
2012: Chapter Seven — Very much a part of the decision for HOY was based on his 1:50.1 Cashman score, a personal best.
2013: Bee A Magician — Dominated the Oaks, went 17-17 on the year, and was a no-doubter for the top honor.
2014: JK She’salady — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
2015: Wiggle It Jiggleit — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
2016: Always B Miki — Had a rare stub of the hoof finishing fourth in the 2016 U.S. Pacing Championship on Hambletonian Day. But he rebounded to set a world race record of 1:46 in the Breeders Crown to be an easy choice for that year’s best.
2017: Hannelore Hanover — Dominated the Steele Memorial and beat the boys during the season for HOY honors for Team Burke.
2018: McWicked — Was second to Western Joe in 2018 on Hambletonian Day in the Sam McKee Memorial, but the Casie Coleman-trainee captured all post season honors.
2019: Shartin N — Was a million-dollar earner in 2019 with a 1:46.4 female world mark set on Hambletonian Day that still stands! HOY was an easy call.
2020: Tall Dark Stranger — Won the Cane Pace in 1:48.4 and had little competition when all the year-end votes were counted.
2021: Test Of Faith — Did not race on Hambletonian Day.
2022: Bulldog Hanover — Did not race on Hambletonian Day. He actually had a 27-day break until the second Friday in August when he took down the Dan Patch at Hoosier.
2023: Confederate — Won by four plus widening lengths and wanted more in a dominating Cane Pace score. The super sophomore then breezed to HOY honors.
2024: Twin B Joe Fresh took care of business in the Lady Liberty in 1:47.3. She will try for an exact duplicate of that daily double in 2025.
