The regionalization of the standardbred sport has a way of segregating the sports’ best horses while at the same time offering unique opportunities to trainers and owners to maximize the returns on their investments. As programs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, New York and most recently Kentucky have grown, the need for horses to step out of their comfort zones has been limited, upending the depth once created by the Grand Circuit. It is not a longing for the past but just a wish that racing fans would have the opportunity to have a reason to root on the home team when regional powers collide. There are still a few weeks remaining, but the hope is that perhaps June 7 or June 14 will be one of those day(s) where the best horses from North America convene at one track and in one race. While those dates may coincide with the C$1 million North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park with eliminations followed by the rich final, the hope here comes that the Fan Hanover, the co-feature on the pacing side, provides all the elements of a must-see event. With still some time for the connections to consider, there is a chance that Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year Chantilly would meet the 2024 Dan Patch winner Miki And Minnie along with Ohio champion Odds On Hialeah for the first time. With double eligibility, the ball is in the court of those making the decisions, with Chantilly double-staked and eligible at this moment to both the North America Cup and Fan Hanover. Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. has a pair of extremely talented Ohio-sired fillies in Odds On Hialeah and Odds On Chesapeake. The pair made their sophomore debuts in Ohio Sire Stakes action at Scioto Downs last Friday (May 16) and were equally impressive while dominating. “I was happy with both of them,” said Morgan about the pair before touching on where the fillies would be racing in the future. “There’s an Ohio Sire Stakes (June 7 at Northfield Park), so I’m going to have to talk it over with Dana (Parham-Odds on Racing) and see what he wants to do.” Visually, Odds On Hialeah put on an impressive display of speed going first-over with a 26 1/5 burst of speed to clear the lead and open five lengths on her rivals in her debut. A winning margin of just over a length in a quick 1:50 3/5 mile was deceptive. “Brett (driver Miller) shut her down,” said Morgan. “You don’t get anything extra for setting track records, so I was very happy about that.” A daughter of Lather Up, the 2018 North America Cup champion, Odds On Hialeah won seven of her eight starts as a freshman, dominating in her home state but giving strong indication that her ability would stretch outside that locale. “I think she’ll be competitive,” said Morgan when asked about the potential to race in the Fan Hanover. “She beat a pretty nice filly in Papi Grad at Delaware last year and everyone was talking about that one.” Papi Grad had gained plenty of attention in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes but proved powerless when Odds On Hialeah rolled by her in 1:51 4/5 in the Standardbred Stake. Chantilly also made her 2025 debut last weekend and did so in style, winning the SBOA Final for sophomore pacing fillies in 1:52 with runner-up Millie May Hanover keeping pace with her to the wire but unable to re-rally. Chantilly remained perfect in her career. It’s difficult to be critical of any horse making a first start of the season, especially in stakes competition, but questions remain whether a match against colts is really in her best interest at this point in the season. A pair of North America Cup eligibles competed and won on the same card, including the Bettor’s Delight-sired Crack Shot, who showed Nijinsky-like power in capturing his SBOA event with driver Doug McNair on obvious cruise control to the wire in a solid 1:51 clocking. Trainer Chris Ryder is pointing Miki And Minnie for the Fan Hanover and unlike the other connections has no conflicts to consider. The Always B Miki-sired filly has made just one start this year and that came on May 12 when she overcame post eight to win a Pennsylvania All Stars event at Pocono in a crisp 1:51 mile. Miki And Minnie is eligible in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, so the Fan Hanover may be one of the only chances she’ll have this year to meet Chantilly, at least prior to the Breeders Crown, which is why the hope for a potential rivalry looms so large in June. Morgan also believes that Odds On Chesapeake has the talent to go beyond Ohio but the Downbytheseaside-sired filly has a broader stakes package that could prove more lucrative. “She’s dual eligible in Kentucky,” Morgan said, giving rise to the thought that she could be meeting Miki And Minnie down the road on occasion. There are a lot of elements to seeing great races take shape and the nuances of the racing schedule offer only a few times when it’s everyone’s interest to join the party. To the connections behind these championship-caliber fillies there is already the willingness to double stake and spend extra money just to give them the opportunity. Now it will be a question of which road is taken and whether those roads will cross at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the coming weeks. Chantilly has the home field advantage as Odds On Hialeah raced exclusively in Ohio last year, and Miki And Minnie did travel but spent a majority of her time in Kentucky and New Jersey while culminating her season with a Breeders Crown title. While the need to race in Grand Circuit events may be different today than it was 30 years ago, of interest is just how strong some of these Sire Stakes programs have become and how champion-caliber horses need not be defined by location or theoretical strength of sire. Odds On Hialeah is by a young sire in Lather Up. “I think he’s been a lot better than some people expected,” said Morgan in defense of the descendant of Bettor’s Delight. While the sons and daughters of Bettor’s Delight have been dominant in Ontario, Chantilly’s rise to glory has brought along with it the ability of Big Jim to climb out from the shadows and give the Western Ideal-stallion line voice in Ontario. The stars may have to align for the race to play out but hopefully Chantilly, Miki And Minnie and Odds On Hialeah will be behind the same starting car at Woodbine Mohawk Park this June 14.