by Bob Heyden

After the ball drops in Times Square, here are some things that we will, might and want to see happen in the New Year.

1. John Campbell turns 70 on April 8. That’s right, 70. He’ll become the first horseman since Herve Filion and just the second ever to live half their life and more as Hall of Famers. Campbell was inducted in 1990 at 35 and Herve lived 42 more years after he, too, went in at 35 in 1975.

2. Yannick Gingras is set to be the fourth in history to reach $250 million, a quarter-of-a-billion. He starts 2025 about $4.8 million away as he looks to join Campbell, Miller, Tetrick in this illustrious group. Campbell hit this milestone first, doing so at The Meadowlands in 2007 winning the freshman filly Breeders Crown Trot with Snow White. Fittingly, that standout for trainer Kevin Lare set the all-time record for earnings for any 2YO trotter with over $1.25 million, that stands today.

3. Mike Lachance will hit 75 on Dec. 16. “Iron Mike” was a 1997 Hall of Famer inductee and four-time Hambletonian winter including the fastest of the 20th century, 1:51.3 with Self Possessed (1999).

4. It’s 90 years since Greyhound’s Hambletonian and will be the 100th Hambletonian ever contested come the first Saturday in August.

5. It will be the 70th anniversary of the very first Triple Crown winner Scott Frost. The Yonkers Trot debuted that very year and the Messenger the following season thus introducing us to the Triple Crown era on both gaits.

6. Twin B Joe Fresh will be looking to do what has not been done in the 21st century, successfully defend a HOY title. It’s also been a quarter-of-a-century since anyone did it: Moni Maker in 1998-99.

7. Walner turns 10 on April 9. Can you think of another horse who has done what he has prior to his 10th birthday? Especially after his epic sales season of late 2024 which included the all-time high ticket item Amazing Catch!

8. Will it mark the 22^nd-straight year without a Pacing Triple Crown winner? No Pan Intended was the very last to do so in 2003.

9. Can the youngest ever “Rising Star” winner Brett Beckwith join in with the sports very elite, a la Marcus Melander? In 2018, Melander won the same award and just a year later was “Trainer of the Year,” the only winner to turn that daily double that quickly. The previous youngest to win the Rising Star Award was Beckwith’s very own uncle Richie Silverman in 1986, also 21, but two months older than Beckwith.

10. Will Homicide Hunter’s world record 1:48 4 mile hold? It’ll be seven years since his memorable mile in the fall of 2018.

11. Dave Miller is on course — on a career path — to topple John Campbell’s all-time earnings mark of $299.8 million. Miller starts 2025 just over $292 million, with around $7.8 million to go. Yes, he just turned 60, but you’d have a hard time thinking he won’t post a similar year to 2024 when he finished $1.5 ahead of the number needed this year. Miller was not yet to a one million career on Million Dollar Babies Night in 1986 when Campbell surpassed Herve Filion and has never looked back. An astounding 38 plus years. Campbell was 31 folks, 31, when he assumed the top spot. Maybe even more impressive is that five different drivers have been second during his reign: Fillion, then Bill O’Donnell, then Mike Lachance, then Ron Pierce, and now Dave Miller.

12. Finally, a few questions. Will Dave Miller win his first Hambletonian or his record sixth Jug? Will Tim Tetrick win his first Jug or his record-tying seventh Meadowlands Pace?

NOTE: The year 2025 will be chock full of notes/stories/trivia on the 100th Hambletonian, which will start early and continue right through the big day, the 45th edition in New Jersey.