Plus, Tetrick reflects on 2012.

by Bob Heyden

Here’s a different look at Dan Patch Awards night on Sunday (Feb. 23).

Chris Ryder is Hall of Fame (HOF) bound and also trains and co-owns the newest Horse of the Year (HOY), Twin B Joe Fresh. He’s the landlord.

His tenant, the five-time Dan Patch Driver of the Year, Dexter Dunn. Don’t tell me you forgot that Dunn stayed with the Ryders seven years back when he came over from New Zealand for good?

Dunn took home a record eight divisional titles in 2024 — Champagne Problems, Twin B Joe Fresh, Maryland, Jiggy Jog S, My Girl EJ, Winner’s Bet, Abuckabett Hanover, and Miki And Minnie — one more than Tim Tetrick did in 2012. Dunn combined twice with Ryder also capturing the freshman filly pacer division with Miki And Minnie.

So, Ryder, the landlord, doubled up with the HOY and the HOF, while Dunn, the tenant, set a daily double mark of his own with a record eight divisional winners one of which he co-owns.

TETRICK ON 2012

Tim Tetrick remembers that magical 2012 season which resulted in a then record seven divisional titles and a 1-2 HOY finish.

Tetrick had a more than amazing season that year, and that is saying something for the man who set the earnings and the victories records in consecutive years (2007-08).

Here are his thoughts on that magnificent seven:

• Chapter Seven — He was just voted the 2024 Trotting Sire of the Year. In 2012, Chapter Seven was the HOY over stablemate Market Share.

“Chapter Seven, what can I say?” Tetrick said. “I was lucky enough to get the drive right after the Hambletonian of 2011 and for a year and a half or so won pretty much everything in sight. I’m not surprised at the sire he has become.”

• Market Share — “Once I figured him out, we did great together,” Tetrick said. “He had a long 3-year-old season and made a lot of money. And he gave me one of my greatest moments ever winning the Hambletonian.”

• Heston Blue Chip — [He] was a really top horse especially at the end of his 3-year-old season,” Tetrick said. “I did great with two American Ideals that year, him and American Jewel.”

• American Jewel — “So talented,” Tetrick said. “She might have been as good a 2-year-old filly as we’ve had. She was great at 3 too.”

• Anndrovette — “Nobody has made more as a pacing mare since [$3.4 million],” Tetrick said. “For three straight years she was the best pacing mare in the country. Not spectacular, but she wanted to win. If she had a bad race, she’d have no memory of it, and would bounce right back.”

• Check Me Out — “She’s one knee boot falling down to her ankles at the top of the stretch from having a 1:50 or even a 1:49 Hambo Oaks record [in 2012],” Tetrick said. “As it was, she recovered to be third before they placed her back. She was very gifted — had so much speed — and she’s the dam of King Of The North [the fastest Trotter ever in Canada, 1:50.3].”

• Captaintreacherous — “He had an incredible effort winning the last Wilson [in 2012] which amounted to a nighttime training mile of 1:49,” Tetrick said. “He had a way of fighting you off when you got close and other drivers knew this and would try and time their move accordingly. Still, to this day, one of the best couple of horses I ever drove, maybe the best.”