It was the year of Bulldog Hanover on the harness racing calendar in 2022 and hopes for an encore performance in 2023 have been dashed with the acknowledgement that the 4-year-old superstar will retire permanently from racing and devote his future attention to broodmares and future offspring. The racing world won't be the same, but that statement can be made with certitude every year. What 2023 will offer is the hope and perhaps expectation that trotting mares will once again take center stage. Lost in the aura of Bulldog Hanover in 2022 was the appearance of two phenomenal 3-year-old trotting fillies that both elected to go after the colts in the Hambletonian. Jiggy Jog S and Joviality S (in alphabetical order) took a pass on racing fillies and went for the gold in the Hambletonian, and their collective journey throughout the rest of their sophomore campaigns made it pretty clear by year's end the class they possessed. That one is a daughter of Chapter Seven and the other from the first crop of Chapter Seven's most noteworthy son Walner makes the rivalry that much richer. It would have been great to see these two battle it out first in 2023, but with the absence of the Graduate Series for mares on the calendar, racing fans in New Jersey will most likely have to wait until the Hambletonian Maturity where the two might get a chance to race whatever is left from this year's 3-year-old trotting corps. Trainer Marcus Melander confirmed that Joviality S will be the lone 4-year-old in training for him in 2023, but is still waiting to forge a schedule for his prized filly. "She's coming back," Melander said. "We'll have to see what the schedule looks like. She is eligible to race in Sweden against just 4-year-old fillies." It's somewhat ironic that both Jiggy Jog S and Joviality S are likely eligible to the same races in Sweden, and perhaps if one would choose to ship overseas for those races, the other might stay in North America, knowing one less rival existed. Yet without the Graduate, an exclusive event for 4-year-old trotting mares does not exist. While the limited age-specific races may alter the paths for Jiggy Jog S and Joviality S in 2023, we're hopeful that the two may reach the level where they'll meet the best 5-year-old mare in training next year. "She's coming back," said "Nifty" Norman when asked about Bella Bellini's schedule next year. That's good news for all in the sport since Bella Bellini looked at season's end as if she was getting better. "She was definitely stronger at the end of the year," Norman said. The hope from this corner is that both Joviality S and Jiggy Jog S will emerge next year with the talent and power to match up with the likes of Bella Bellini. That may be wishful thinking in as much as Norman already recognizes the limited earning potential for his mare racing just females. "We'll definitely be making her eligible to the open events," Norman said. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The promise for 2023 is likely to come as well in the older pacing mare division where the 2021 Horse of the Year Test Of Faith will be embarking on her 5-year-old campaign after a solid season in 2022. Likely joining her will be a pair of standouts from this year's 3-year-old crop in Treacherous Dragon and Niki Hill. Though the racing world saw far too little from Niki Hill for most of the season, her efforts at year's end were more than encouraging, especially her second-place finish to Grace Hill in the TVG Mares Pace at the Meadowlands in late November. Niki Hill roughed it without cover with Test Of Faith on her back and Grace Hill the target, and showed true grit through the homestretch. "I think Dexter [Dunn] was worried about us [Test Of Faith] more than Grace Hill," said Brett Pelling, who trains Test of Faith. "I think Grace Hill surprised him." Regardless of how the TVG turned out, it certainly set the table for future match-ups to come. For Niki Hill, a daughter of Always B Miki, there is the hope that she can shine in 2023 and make this class more competitive on a week-to-week basis. "I think some of her best races were in the warmer weather," reflected Pelling on the 2022 campaign of Test Of Faith, who was dominant over the summer but lost a couple of key races towards years end. "She's turned out in Kentucky now, and I'm excited to see what her 5-year-old campaign will look like." For any followers of the breed, 2023 could be a game-changer in the trotting ranks if a new stallion line emerges with the first crop of horses by Greenshoe hitting the racetrack. There will be extreme expectations for sure given the high profile this son of Father Patrick enjoyed during his 2- and 3-year-old campaigns. Amping those expectations even higher was the way his colts and fillies were received at auction this fall. Trainer Marcus Melander has the best historical perspective when it comes to looking at Greenshoe this time of year as a baby when compared to his offspring. "We've got 18 by Greenshoe," Melander said. "Training down at this time Greenshoe showed that he had a lot of speed right from the start. Gimpanzee and Green Manalishi came along a little later." Melander reserved future judgment about his group but did say that there are some that hint at that kind of speed already. The older pacing ranks will be much different without Bulldog Hanover in the lineup next year, but there's certainly reason to be optimistic that a properly-staked Allywag Hanover will provide some fireworks of his own in 2023. Whether the soon-to-be 4-year-olds Beach Glass and Bythemissal will have the speed and staying power to battle it out against much older competition remains a mystery. Transition to this class on the pacing side is much more difficult. Perhaps the best hope for 2023 is that a new star or stars will rise without notice and surprise us as Bulldog Hanover did so well in 2022.