Harness: Examining 2021's best, most memorable races

The 2021 Grand Circuit harness racing season has gone into the history books. It's time once again to reflect and look back at some of the best races of the year. Rather than try to arbitrarily rank these events, the following are listed basically in chronological order, with some grouped together since they have a common link.

This Is The Plan stars early

To start off 2021, the hottest horse in the sport was older pacer This Is The Plan. He won the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final on April 19 at Yonkers in a tour-de-force front-end performance from post eight and then on June 5 at Northfield, he went down the road to capture the Battle of Lake Erie in a world record 1:47 3/5 effort for trainer Ron Burke.

"This Is The Plan was amazing there and so sharp at the time," driver Yannick Gingras said of his mile in the Battle of Lake Erie. "I knew a world record was a possibility by three-quarters, so I let him roll finishing."

The Mighty Manchego returns

After the news came out that Manchego wasn't going to be retired as originally thought and instead remain in training, fans anxiously awaited her first race of 2021, which was the Cutler Memorial on May 15 at the Meadowlands. An unusually dull qualifier on April 24 at The Big M had put her participation in doubt, but she got the green light from trainer Nancy Takter and then put in an incredible display, overcoming being first-over throughout from post nine, wearing down leader Guardian Angel As, and holding off a rallying Majestic Player A to prevail by a nose.

"The Cutler was an interesting race because I almost didn't enter her. She qualified terribly before and scoped awfully sick. She was treated with antibiotics. I trained her a quick half at the farm on the Monday [of that week] and she felt great, so I was like 'she might be a little short, but she needs to get racing,'" recalled Takter. "She drew the nine-hole, and I'm like 'ok, well, hopefully she just gets a good race.' Well, she got parked the entire mile, but she just wouldn't give up and made sure she was first across the wire! Unbelievable determination and grit!"

Meadowlands Pace Mayhem

Maybe the most memorable race of 2021 ended up that way not for the reasons that anybody hoped going in. Mother Nature threw a wrench into the proceedings at the Meadowlands on July 17 with a persistent, soaking rain that left the track first rated good and then sloppy. The $700,000 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings was the feature on the card and although Charlie May crossed the wire first after a thrilling stretch battle with Perfect Sting and Lawless Shadow, he was deemed to have caused interference to multiple foes while tipping off the cover of Southwind Gendry on the last turn. That elevated Lawless Shadow to the victory for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Dr. Ian Moore, and though the outcome of the race is still working its way through the appeals process at last check, it won't be one to forget regardless.

Another Hambo Day success for Manchego

Already with victories on Hambo Day in the Jim Doherty Memorial at 2, the Hambletonian Oaks at 3 and the Dr. John R. Steele Memorial at 4, Manchego added another victory on harness racing's biggest stage in the John Cashman Memorial in 2021. She did it in heart-stopping style, too, as she brushed to the lead on the backstretch, fought off a first-over bid by stablemate Ready For Moni on the far turn and then withstood an inside bid by pocket-sitter Beads through the stretch to get the victory by a nostril.

"The Cashman was special because of the enormous success Manchego has always had on Hambo Day," said Takter. "Moni Maker was the last mare to win the race, so for Manchego to follow in her footsteps was very cool!"

Older pacers deliver in Dan Patch Stakes

Perhaps the best edition in the history of the Dan Patch for free-for-all pacers took place on August 13 at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Four horses took turns on the lead in the first three-quarters of the mile, and then after a scintillating stretch showdown that saw multiple contenders with a chance at victory, Catch The Fire emerged between foes for Scott Zeron to defeat a charging 68-1 shot Tellmeaboutit by a neck in 1:48 1/5.

Rookie pacing colts put on a speed display in Lexington

The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, was incredibly fast during the Kentucky Sires Stakes action in August and September, most notably on August 24 when 2-year-old pacing colt Caviart Camden vaulted off a quick tempo set mainly by Pebble Beach to win in a world-record clocking of 1:48 3/5, giving first-crop sire Huntsville a feather in his cap. Pebble Beach, by fellow first-cropper Downbytheseaside, would then come back to win the rich final of that event on September 19, and he just missed Caviart Camden's mark, prevailing by a nose in 1:48 4/5.

Charlie May suffers another tough beat

Unfortunately for Charlie May, who otherwise had an excellent season, he was on the wrong side of another memorable race and finish, this time coming in the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Super Final at Northfield Park on September 6. Charlie May battled from first-over in the back-half of the mile with leader and Buckeye State rival Heart Of Chewbacca, and that gave the closers a chance to take advantage of the contested pace. Doing so was 33-1 shot Borntobeshameless, who used a 28 3/5 final kicker and a wide rally to go from seventh to first for driver Dan Noble, downing a dead-game Charlie May by a neck on the wire.

The Jim Ewart Memorial rarely disappoints

An annual staple of this "best races of the year" article has been the Jim Ewart Memorial for free-for-all pacers at Scioto Downs, and the 2021 version delivered the goods again. First, there was a heated battle for the lead between Gold Digger King and Workin Ona Mystery, and after those two horses were worn down and tired past three-quarters, Little Rocket Man and Nicholas Beach picked up where they left off. Watching all this transpire from behind had been Ocean Rock and he gave Noble another memorable victory with a sweeping brush in the stretch that carried him to the tally by a neck in 1:49 1/5. Ocean Rock had started from the outside post nine and went off at odds of 18-1.

Glamour boys go at it in Jug final

Another major event in harness racing that was plagued by bad weather was the Delaware County Fair, as it was absolutely miserable on Jugette Day and then only slightly better for the Little Brown Jug. The horses in the Jug made up for it, though, as the final saw a three-way battle in the middle-half of the mile among leader Perfect Sting, pocket-sitter Lou's Pearlman, and second-over Whichwaytothebeach. Lou's Pearlman popped out of the two-hole at the half, and Whichwaytothebeach elected to fan off his cover early, putting them three across the track at three-quarters and onto the final bend. Whichwaytothebeach finally dropped back late on the turn, but Lou's Pearlman and Perfect Sting continued to slug it out to the wire, with Lou's Pearlman taking the win by a nose in 1:52 4/5 over a track rated good and two seconds off.

"The Jug was a very tactical race. I wanted a chance to win and I didn't think I could from sitting in the two-hole," recalled Gingras. "Andy McCarthy's horse [Whichwaytothebeach] was a good enough horse to keep me pinned in. Andy going three-wide really helped me because he could maybe have beat us from second-over but couldn't from there in my opinion. I was able to push the pace a little more so it wasn't just a sprint."

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Several standout races on closing day at The Red Mile

The last card of the Grand Circuit Meet in Lexington featured absolutely perfect weather for a rare time for a big program in 2021 and there were multiple great races. Allywag Hanover and Atlanta tied world records in their respective Allerage Open events and we got to see the international star Ecurie D make his U.S. debut with an authoritative triumph in the Allerage Open Trot. The 3-year-old filly trotters had the best race overall in the Kentucky Filly Futurity, with Bella Bellini taking the lead from first-over on the last turn only to get picked off at the wire by a flying Katie's Lucky Day, giving young driver Trevor Smith a signature victory. Katie's Lucky Day also overcame about as much road trouble as a horse can in one race, as she deftly navigated around breakers past the start and on the first turn from a trailing post on her way to the triumph.

Bob Loblaw takes Middleton to the winner's circle

Track announcers are under enough pressure as it is with the need to clearly and accurately describe a race, but Woodbine Mohawk Park's Ken Middleton had some extra weight to carry in the C$250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers on October 16 as Bob Loblaw, a horse he bred with the late Canadian Hall of Famer Bill Galvin and still co-owns and trains, was among the participants. "Bob," who had started the season out well, including a Grand Circuit win in a Nassagaweya division, started making inopportune breaks after that, but he was at his best in the Super Final, rallying from next-to-last to first in the lane.

"It was probably the most pressure I put on myself going into a race call, ever. He'd underachieved in a string of races going into the Super Final, but I was still quietly confident he'd let them know he was there if things went his way," said Middleton. "He rallied from a spot that you simply didn't see horses rally from on that particular card. I had my eye on him coming out of the last turn and once Sylvain Filion got him angled to a clear path and then set him down for the drive, I could see he was getting airborne. The last eighth of the mile was magical and our crew managed to celebrate the Hollywood ending.

"I stepped off the pedal that activates my headset when he crossed the line and I just sat there for a minute to savor the moment. I thought of my late partner, Bill Galvin, and said 'we did it, Bill.' He would have been so proud of that little colt. He was one of his favorites. I then tossed my headset aside, grabbed my coat and darted for the stairs to join the rest of the crew down in the winner's circle. The feeling once I got there was a combination of excitement, pride, satisfaction and more pride. To win a stake race is awesome, to do it with a homebred is an incredibly special moment."

The time Middleton had in getting from the announcer's booth to the winner's circle gave him the chance to let the victory soak in and reflect on the journey that it had been with Bob Loblaw from his early days to that night.

"There were a lot of flashbacks on the walk down the stairs right from the night he was born, to seeing him develop his own personality in my backyard, to hooking him in the jog cart for the first time and then eventually qualifying him and watching him make it to the races," stated Middleton. "To win the stake races that he did was surreal for all of us. What an incredible feeling of pride."

Freshmen overcome the elements in Breeders Crown finals

The Breeders Crown finals for 2-year-olds on October 29 at the Meadowlands saw the weather heavily involved again, as it started pouring the race before they began and didn't let up. The rookies still put on a great show, though, with Rebuff rallying to win the colt and gelding trot by half a length, Joviality S taking the filly trot by a nose and Monte Miki tallying by the same margin in the colt and gelding pace. The one race that didn't have a close finish, the filly pace, saw an incredible open-length win by Niki Hill, which vaulted her into the Horse of the Year conversation and was probably the most impressive victory any horse had over the two-day event.

Svanstedt steals his first Breeders Crown

Ake Svanstedt, never exactly known for being a darling of the harness racing social media set (or some harness racing participants) when it comes to his driving, put one on the rest of the colony in the Breeders Crown Mare Trot the following day. Svanstedt, who was toting around a zero-win record in the Crown up to that point, got away with opening-half fractions of just 27 3/5 and 57 2/5 with Felicityshagwell S, giving her plenty of ammunition to deal with a first-over try by Atlanta on the last turn. After putting that rival away, Felicityshagwell S drew off in the stretch, winning by a length-and-a-half in 1:52 2/5.

"Yes, I expected Dave Miller to come asking quite early in the race [with When Dovescry], but he never pulled. And Yannick [Gingras] clearly had faith in Atlanta gunning down 'Shaggy' in the stretch, but with such a slow pace to the half and my horse being really calm at the front-end, a position she usually gets a bit grabby in, she had a lot of trot left going into the stretch," relayed winning owner Tristan Sjoberg. "I was watching the Swedish feed, and Bernie [Noren, who works for Sjoberg's Knutsson Trotting] was an expert commentator on ATG; he had to really work hard at staying professional."

Talented trotting fillies tussle in Goldsmith Maid

Breeders Crown champion Joviality S, Mohawk Million winner Venerable and Kindergarten Classic Series victor Misswalner Fashion all raced against each other for the first time in the November 20 Goldsmith Maid for rookie trotting fillies at the Meadowlands. Each of them had a turn on the lead during the mile, but it would be Joviality S who got up from the three-hole in the lane to defeat Venerable by a length in 1:52 1/5. Misswalner Fashion was a solid third, perhaps foreshadowing more great events among this group in 2022.

"Venerable went off-stride in the Breeders Crown elim, so we didn't get the chance to see if Joviality could have matched her in the final," said winning owner Anders Strom of Courant Inc. "In the Goldsmith Maid, Joviality came out top, and it didn't come as a total surprise to us.

"Joviality is a very talented horse and Marcus Melander has managed her season perfectly. We didn't want to push her too hard initially and that paid off in the later stages of the season, of course, also with the help of Brian Sears' smart maneuvering. She is eligible for some big purse races as a 4-year-old in Sweden, so we hope she can do well as a 3-year-old in the USA and then have a career as an older mare in Europe."

Joviality S is also a homebred for Courant, giving them some of their own breeding success to go with horses like Greenshoe and Gimpanzee that were purchased at yearling sales.

"We have a few homebreds entered into the American stakes series every season. The reason for this is that we can bring new interesting bloodlines, for example, through the French connection, like with Pasithea Face [Joviality's dam]," stated Strom. "This will eventually be important for the evolution of the sport. Having said that, the best-looking yearlings are for sale at Lexington and Harrisburg, and we will continue to buy there every year."

A measure of redemption for Lyons Sentinel

For a great deal of 2021, Lyons Sentinel was the #1 horse in the weekly top-ten poll and looked like she might be heading to a Horse of the Year campaign. However, coming into the TVG Mares Open Pace final on November 20 at the Meadowlands, she hadn't won in three starts and was defeated by Rocknificent in both the Breeders Crown elimination and final following first-over trips.

"I'll admit it's tough getting beat in the Breeders Crown, but even though I was not disappointed in her performance, it was devastating to be so close with a first-up effort and get beat," said Joann Looney-King. "She raced her butt off for eight months and she got beat in a huge effort."

In the TVG Lyons Sentinel wound up having to do the first-over work again after floating out from post nine, but this time she turned the tables on Rocknificent, powering by her in the stretch and then holding off Gia's Surreal to get the win by three-quarters-of-a-length in 1:49 1/5.

"Coming right back to the Meadowlands to face the best girls in North America in the TVG with a mare that I was concerned with being tired and not on her best game was concerning, so when we showed up I was determined not to be disappointed whatever the outcome was," added Looney-King. "But I have to tell you, when Timmy [Tetrick] pulled her and she was gliding along "fishing" for cover, I said, 'damn, friggin first-up again!' From that point, I just remembered doing my best to get her home, and when she won, I can't tell you the relief and happiness we felt.

"I always try to keep in mind that these horses are just like us; they have good days and bad days and they all get beat."

That will do it for this year's list. Personally, I would like to thank everybody in the industry for a great year of racing and also to the horses that make all of this possible. Everybody have a Merry Christmas, a happy holiday, a Happy New Year, and see you back for another go-around in 2022.