by Bob Heyden

With her Horse of the Year achievement, Shartin N becomes….

• The first 6-year-old pacer to be voted Horse of the Year (HOY) since 1952 when Good Time last did it. Shartin N is just the just the fourth 6-year-old to be so named. Pronto Don in 1951 and Moni Maker in 1999 are the others.

• The first pacing mare of any age to be voted Horse of the Year.

• The first Down Under bred horse to be named HOY in the United States. Cardigan Bay was sixth in the balloting in 1966, and upon his retirement, he had $1,000,837 as the first millionaire in the sport’s history.

• The fifth horse — and first in 30 years — to go from runner-up in the HOY voting the year prior to the winner. It last happened in 1988-1989 for Matts Scooter. Prior, Su Mac Lad did so in 1961, 1962; Scott Frost in 1955 before going back to back in 1956-57, as did Adios Butler in 1959 then doubling up in 1960-61.

• The first female pacer to be first or second in the HOY ballot in back to back years. Shartin N was the 2018 runner-up to McWicked.

• The first HOY to win on Hambletonian Day since Bee A Magician did it in 2013.
Meanwhile….

• Tim Tetrick is the first driver of the HOY (also part-owner) who goes into the Hall Of Fame the same year as having the HOY. In 1970, both men who drove Fresh Yankee, that year’s HOY, went into the Hall of Fame — Joe O’Brien and Sanders Russell. •

• Jo Ann Looney-Jim King Jr., and Richard Poilluci all are winning the Horse of the Year award for the first time.

• Shartin N’s 1:46.4 world record on Hambletonian Day was 1/5th better than the prior female standard of 1:47 by Shebestingin 10/5/13 at the Red Mile.

• She becomes just the fifth female Pacer of the Year, following Silk Stockings in 1975, Fan Hanover in 1981, Bunny Lake in 2001 and Rainbow Blue in 2004. (Conversely, 17 females have been voted “Trotter Of The Year” in the same time frame).

• Shartin N is both the winningest female pacer for a single season (2018, over $1 million) and the only female pacer to better $2 million combined in consecutive seasons.

• Her 34 wins in 2018 and 2019 combined (19 and then 15) were #1 among the top 50 money winners in 2018 and tied for first at 15 in 2019.