While the two MGM Grand Prix Series at Yonkers and the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund events for 3-year-olds at Dover are still ongoing this month, the vast majority of the harness racing stakes schedule is in the archives for 2025. With that said, it's time for the traditional look back at some of the best races of the year.
May
We'll start with the Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands on the 17th where Periculum took on early season standout Antognoni S. Both put in quality efforts, with Antognoni S on the lead before the half and Periculum poised second-over, and it would be Periculum who rallied to win in 1:51 4/5. Eventual division leader Lexus Kody also put in a huge effort from first-up to get second from Antognoni S.
"I don't think he's 100 percent in form, obviously, but he got a nice trip and raced great," winning trainer Marcus Melander said after the race. "When he gets a trip like that, he's very hard to beat. He likes to chase horses down. That's his best ability, to chase them down."
Moving north of the border, this year's Camluck Classic at the Raceway at Western Fair District was held on the 30th. Three horses took a turn on the lead before the half, with Ervin Hanover the last to the point ahead of fellow Dave Menary trainee Brue Hanover. It would be a cavalry charge to the wire among multiple horses, with Brue Hanover slipping up the inside to win by a nose in a photo finish over Ervin Hanover. However, it was determined Brue Hanover had gone inside pylons in the lane, which gave the win back to Ervin Hanover.
June
North America Cup night on the 14th at Woodbine Mohawk Park provided plenty of action as always. A race to mention on the undercard was the Grade 1 Fan Hanover for 3-year-old pacing fillies where Miki And Minnie stormed to the lead from first-over off a fast pace and then held off a charging Rodeo Drive Deo by less than a length in a 1:48 3/5 mile. Then, the Cup itself was a thriller, as Louprint worked hard to get to the front near the 53 1/5 half, kept command in a dazzling 26 second flat third quarter and then out-lasted a pylon-skimming Madden Oaks by a head in 1:47 3/5.
"What a dream come true to get the job done. I didn't give him a great trip, but he's a terrific horse," winning driver Wrenn Jr. remarked after the North America Cup. "He raced really well. It wasn't ideal to go that fast in the third quarter, but that's the card I was dealt."
July
The Meadowlands played host to the Graduate Series finals for 4-year-olds on July 5 and both races were contentious. In the pace, Sabonis showed a new element of speed off the gate, left out Nijinsky in a middle-half battle and held sway in a 1:47 3/5 mile. Meanwhile, in the trot, Warrawee Michelle came from off-the-pace to get by Private Access and then fought off fellow mare Elista Hanover in a 1:50 2/5 performance.
Sticking at The Big M, this year's Meadowlands Pace program was on the 12th and both of the William R. Haughton Memorials for free-for-allers saw prices come in. Oakwood Ardan IR stormed home in 25 2/5 to get by Coach Stefanos and Sabonis in 1:47 3/5 in one division, while Maximus Miki overcame a shuffle past the half to get up and win in 1:48 in the other. Oakwood Ardan IR was a 32-1 shot while Maximus Miki went off at 14-1.
Later on that night, Elista Hanover went a multiple-move dazzling trip in the Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-olds, stopping the timer for the mile and an eighth in a stakes record 2:03 off a mile in 1:49 3/5.
"She is so versatile," Elista Hanover's trainer Annie Stoebe said. "Dave (winning driver Dave Miller) can do whatever he needs to, and that was what he needed to do tonight. She wintered down at Spring Station with my friend Sasha and came back strong, bigger and ready for the 4-year-old year. We knew how talented she was and it was worth taking a shot."
Of course the Pace itself ended with a placing for the second time in recent memory as Prince Hal Hanover crossed the wire first but was deemed to have interfered with Madden Oaks in the lane. That resulted in Madden Oaks being moved up to the win and Prince Hal Hanover demoted to the runner-up spot.
Fresh off his win in the Pace, driver Braxten Boyd came back the next Saturday at Saratoga Casino Hotel to win the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial with 43-1 outsider Binge On Yankee. Off a pocket trip behind a battle for the lead between Desperate Man and Spring Inhis Step A, Binge On Yankee rallied to defeat Desperate Man by a neck in 1:51 1/5.
While he was denied by placing in the Meadowlands Pace, Prince Hal Hanover didn't have to wait long for his signature win as he took the Adios at The Meadows on the 26th. He charged to early command from post eight for Todd McCarthy, yielded to sit behind favored Twisted Destiny, and then came up the passing lane to win in a blanket finish where the top five were separated by just a length and a quarter.
August
This year's Hambletonian Day card at the Meadowlands was on August 2 and while Nordic Catcher S's win in the Hambo and Conversano's triumph in the Oaks certainly deserve mention, the race of the day was on the undercard in the Cane Pace for 3-year-old male pacers as Captain Optimistic overcame a last-turn shuffle to get around a first-over Madden Oaks and a battling-back pacesetter in Papi's Pistol in a 1:48 1/5 clocking.
"At the three-quarters I wasn't too happy. I was like, ‘oh, gosh, here we go again, another bad trip for this poor colt,'" victorious trainer Nancy Takter said in the winner's circle. "Because he is actually a really nice colt and he deserves to have a classic win. So, I'm happy that he got a Triple Crown win for himself."
A couple days after Hambletonian Day, Grand River Raceway in Ontario hosted their annual Industry Day program, and in the Battle of the Belles for Ontario-sired rookie pacing fillies, Daya made a huge first-over brush to take the lead past a contested half and then opened up to win handily in a 1:50 4/5 eye-opening mile. It was the first significant victory as a sire for Bulldog Hanover, harness racing's all-time fastest horse.
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono was the site of the next race to mention - the Delmonica Hanover for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Yo Tillie kept her undefeated season going with a hard-fought win as she worked around Delaney Hanover, kept a first-over attack from Conversano at bay in the backstretch and then did the same to Delaney Hanover through the lane, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 2/5.
Going back to Canada, Maximus Miki picked up another significant win in the Canadian Pacing Derby on the 30th at Woodbine Mohawk Park as he took advantage of a duel between Ervin Hanover and Bythemissal, and despite going wide before three-quarters, his 26 3/5 final kicker got him by Ervin Hanover at the finish line in a 1:48 1/5 mile.
"He's a big horse and takes time to get into gear," said winning driver Scott Zeron following the victory. "That's why I sent him four-wide early to get his momentum going."
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September
The Jim Ewart Memorial for older male pacers makes frequent appearances on this list, and this year's rendition, which took place on the 6th at Eldorado Scioto Downs, will as well. Captain Albano was able to get to the top from a trailing post 10 past the 26 second opening quarter and then hung out Women Layer through a demanding 52 4/5 and 1:19 4/5 middle-half. Captain Albano couldn't hold on in the lane, though, as Ervin Hanover tracked Women Layer from second-over and then came off the cover to triumph in 1:47 2/5.
Staying in the Midwest, Maximus Miki gets another credit on the list after his dazzling performance in the Harrah's Hoosier Park Pacing Derby on the 19th. Away eighth, he made a breathtaking three-wide brush to the point past the 54 second half-mile station and never relented after that, holding off several pursuers to tally in 1:47 4/5.
"At the quarter-pole we were all a little bunched up there in the middle of the pack or maybe further back than the middle. I found myself three-wide when we turned up the backside with honestly no options but to go forward," Zeron remarked in victory lane. "I trusted that this horse could carry his speed.
"It was a really, really long stretch but honestly he didn't fatigue that bad. To go 26 4/5 in the last turn and still maintain 27 flat, it was a humongous effort. I'm certainly a big fan."
Beau Jangles, who at this point is a major contender for year-end honors on both sides of the border, really had his coming-out party on the big stage in the Metro final on the 20th at Woodbine Mohawk Park. After moving up on the outside to take charge past a 26 second opening quarter, he withstood attacks from a pair of talented Ron Burke trainees in Al Papi and Frantic Hanover to win by half a length in a 1:49 1/5 performance.
Venturing back to Ohio, the Dayton Trotting Classic on the 27th at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway was among a series of big victories for Lexus Kody, and in this one, he overcame getting shuffled back to last before three-quarters with a wide final-quarter rally that carried him to a 1:51 4/5 victory.
"I was screwed from the word go. I knew I was in a bad spot, just got lucky I was able to squeeze out in the last turn. He's just a tremendous horse and he's so sharp," said Yannick Gingras in the winner's circle. "Obviously it wasn't a good drive, so all the credit goes to him. Now, he's nice to drive; he would never have been able to do all this maneuvering we did tonight. The job they've done with him and then you've got to give credit to the horse, too. He matured, the Burke Brigade did a great job, but I'm so proud of him. He's a top horse.
"He's always had the ability. His gait has never really been the problem. He would trot perfect one week and just gallop the next. It was all mental. I'm just thankful that he got it all figured out."
October
The culmination of the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile came on the 5th on Kentucky Futurity day. In one of the Tatteralls Pace divisions for 3-year-old males on the undercard, Prince Hal Hanover and Madden Oaks renewed acquaintances, and they battled side-by-side to the half in 52 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:19 4/5. 86-1 outside Handsome Stranger would take advantage of their tussle, surging from last to first in a 1:48 1/5 victory, as Prince Hal Hanover and Madden Oaks had to settle for third and fourth.
In the Kentucky Futurity itself, Emoticon Legacy overcame post 10 to get to the front past the 53 3/5 half and was able to out-last closing bids by Maryland and Super Chapter to deliver in 1:49 2/5, marking his second straight sub-1:50 triumph.
Woodbine Mohawk Park had the Breeders Crown finals on the 24th and 25th, and while there were several noteworthy races, we'll focus on three of them. In the 2-year-old filly trot, Storybook Love rallied off an inside trip and won in 1:52 2/5 to give driver Todd Ratchford and trainer Matt Bax their initial Crown triumphs, and then in the 2-year-old male pace, Beau Jangles wrapped up an undefeated season with a hard-fought 1:48 3/5 tally where he overcame four horses from the Ron Burke stable and the talented Brandon Blvd.
"I couldn't be happier," winning trainer Dr. Moore said about Beau Jangles. "I mean, what a horse he is. It's just unbelievable to see him do that this late in the season. He's just unreal.
"He just impresses me every time I see him, every time I sit behind him. He's just an incredible animal, and we owe him a lot for this year. It's been a tremendous ride for all of us, and we hope to do it again next year, that's for sure."
The next night saw a rare Crown dead-heat as the photo finish camera couldn't separate Miki And Minnie and The Last Martini in the 3-year-old filly pace. It was the second straight Crown success for Miki And Minnie, though she had to share this one with the 68-1 shot.
November
The major stakes season at the Meadowlands wrapped up on the 15th with the Fall Final Fours and FanDuel Championships. In the Valley Victory for 2-year-old male trotters, Spencer Hanover and Diabolic Hill, who were first and second in the Breeders Crown, tangled again, but this time it would be Diabolic Hill who made multiple moves and got the better of Spencer Hanover by a head in 1:53 3/5 over the "good" going.
"He's just phenomenal - the way he fought down the stretch, you can't ask for more from a horse," said trainer Annie Stoebe, who co-owns Diabolic Hill with Mazza Racing Stables. "Him going on the road really helped (with his maturity); he's just a smart boy. It's so rewarding to have an animal that powerful perform like that."
That will conclude the look back at 2025's best races. On behalf of myself and everyone else who covers these races for DRF Harness, I'd like to thank you for following along with us, whether it was on DRF.com/harness or on social media. Best wishes for a happy holidays and a happy new year, and I hope to see you all again for this same piece at the end of 2026.