International coaches dominate divisional honors and guarantee another
Horse of the Year trained abroad.
by Bob Heyden
It could be a US Harness Writers Association (USHWA) meeting and it will be held in Orlando, FL, but tonight’s (February 19) Horse of the Year (HOY) banquet will feel more like a United Nations meeting .
Consider the following five facts, all directly related to HOY night.
1. IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM, 12 OUT OF 22 HORSES OF THE YEAR WERE TRAINED BY NON-US BORN HORSES.
2002 – Real Desire, Blair Burgess (Canada)
2005 — Rocknroll Hannover, Brett Pelling (New Zealand)
2006 – Sliding Master, Blair Burgess (Canada)
2008 — Somebeachsomewhere, Brent MacGrath (Canada)
2009 – Muscle Hill, Greg Peck (Canada)
2011 – San Pail, Rod Hughes (Canada)
2013 — Bee A Magician, Nifty Norman (New Zealand)
2014 — JK She’salady, Nancy Takter (Sweden)
2016 — Always B Miki, Jimmy Takter (Sweden)
2018 – McWicked, Casie Coleman (Canada)
2020 — Tall Dark Stranger, Nancy Takter (Sweden)
2021 — Test of Faith, Brett Pelling (New Zealand)
*Should Bulldog Hanover 2022 HOY be crowned, Jack Darling (Canada) will be added to this list.
2. HOY ALL TIME RACE/SPEED MAKES WITH FOREIGN COACHES/RIDERS OR BOTH.
1980 – Niatross, 1:49.1, Clint Galbraith (Canada)
1985 – Nihilator, 1:49.3, Bill O’Donnell (Canada)
1992 – Artsplace, 1:49.2, Bob McIntosh (Canada)
1993 – Staying Together, 1:48.2, Bill O’Donnell and Bob McIntosh (both, Canada)
2016 — Always B Miki, 1:46, Jimmy Takter (Sweden)
*Obviously Bulldog Hanover could also be added to this list due to its 1:45.4 clocking with Jack Darling (Canada) and Dexter Dunn (New Zealand).
3. INTERNATIONAL MONI MAKER.
The last iteration HOY, Moni Maker (1998-99) did most of its damage abroad.
1998 – Money won in North America: $411,750. Money Won Abroad: $818,078
1999 – Money won in North America: $527,471. Money Won Abroad: $967,497
4. 2022 PARTICIPANT SELECTION DOMINATED BY INTERNATIONAL TRAINERS.
For the first time, the US is excluded.
2YOCT – Volume Eight, Noel Daley (Australia)
2YOFT — Special Way, Ake Svanstedt (Sweden)
2YOCP – Stockade Seelster, Dr. Ian Moore (Canada)
2YOFP — Sylvia Hanover, Shawn Steacy (Canada)
3YOMT – Cool Papa Bell, Jim Campbell (Canada)
3YOFT — Joviality S, Marcus Melander (Sweden)
3YOCP – Pebble Beach, Noel Daley (Australia)
3YOFP — Treacherous Dragon, Nancy Takter (Sweden)
OHP — Bulldog Hannover, Jack Darling (Canada)
OMP – Test of Faith, Brett Pelling (New Zealand)
OHT — Ecurie D, Ake Svanstedt (Sweden)
OMT — Bella Bellini, Nifty Norman (New Zealand)
5. PROBABLE 2022 HOY, POY AND TOY WITH FOREIGN COACHES.
POY and HOY leaders Bulldog Hanover, Jack Darling (Canada)
TOY leader Bella Bellini, Nifty Norman (New Zealand)
HERE ARE 10 MORE HOY FUN FACTS:
1. Sep Palin went 1-2 in the first year of the HOY election in 1947, with Victory Song taking the lead. The very first HOY lived until the summer of 1962 and died at the age of 19. Remember that Palin’s Greyhound competed when there was no HOY award.
2. The ladies first went 1-2 with Emily’s Pride over Belle Acton in 1958 despite casting 28/81 first place votes each.
3. Adios Butler won the Triple Crown (1959) and then two HOY titles but in different years. In 1959 he was the first Pacing Triple Crown Champion at 3 and then honored as a HOY at 4 and 5.
4. Only twice has a multiple HOY produced multiple HOYS:
Cam Fella (1982-83) fathered HOY Precious Bunny and Cams Card Shark in 1991 and 1994 respectively.
Albatross (1971-72) sired three times in a row: Niatross twice, 1979-80 and Fan Hanover, 1981.
5. None of the triple HOY ever sired one. Bret Hanover (1964-66) and Nevele Pride (1967-69) both missed that mark.
6. A HOY Trotter has never sired a HOY Trotter. We were close in 2012 when Chapter Seven was HOY. His sire, Windsong’s Legacy, was a close second in voting in 2004 to HOY Rainbow Blue, 119-98.
7. Ladies ruled HOY from 1995-2001, winning five of the seven votes:
1995 — CR Kay Suzie
1996 — Continental Victory
1998 – Money Maker
1999 – Money Maker
2001 – Rabbit Lake
8. It’s been 14 years since a Hambletonian winner was also HOY. The last was Muscle Hill in 2009.
9. The most successful Dash driver of all time, Dave Palone drove HOY Artsplace in 1992, just once and before that year. The most successful cash driver of all time, John Campbell, drove a HOY Moni Maker once in 1997 from 1998 to 1999.
10. If it’s a clean win for Bulldog Hanover, it could be the first time the HOY vote has been unanimous in 75 years.
So get ready for today’s Dan Patch Awards in celebration of the 75th Dan Patch Awardsth Anniversary of USHWA and HOY. Maybe we should call it “Overseas Warden” since Orlando is in the import/export business for one night anyway, big time.
Comments are closed.