Those who live in the United States or Canada can continue to work as long as they see fit as it is considered ageism to force them from the workforce. For our Standardbreds, with some exceptions, mandatory retirement begins on January 1 of their 15th year regardless of vitality or production. From the foal crop of 2008, a total of 107 trotters and pacers had the fortitude to step on the track and compete this year. From that group, 47 have raced since November and a few dozen more are getting their final races in at tracks around the continent. Below we will honor the work of 10 who will in theory be calling it a career (15-year-olds are permitted to race in amateur races – more on that later) after December 31. This list includes stakes winners you've certainly heard of and overnight horses you may have loved to watch over the years. Interestingly, they are mostly geldings as only four stallions and six mares made it to the track in 2022. We start atop the earnings list of the class with Christen Me N, a New Zealand-bred who was named 2015 Horse of the Year in that country. Claimed by four-time Dan Patch Driver of the Year Dexter Dunn for $30,000 in September 2021, the son of In The Pocket made his last start on August 6 of this year at Scioto. While the claim has been a dud in terms of earnings since the 14-year-old has made just $18,470 since the acquisition, the move was more of a sentimental one according to Dunn. "He was racing in a claimer and I just wanted him to have a good life," said Dunn, who added that the horse is currently on the farm of Stacy Van Huizen and Brett Miller. "He's happy and being fed. They are jogging him a little and he's also broken for saddle." Christen Me N owns a 1:49 2/5 lifetime mark and earnings of $2,414,954 to easily top the list of 14-year-olds who competed in 2022. He won 51 of 188 career races, with 19 of those victories coming in North America. As we continue through the top five in earnings, Great Vintage checks in second at $1,510,226. The son of American Ideal-Art's Vintage, who last started in January of his final year on the track, posted a lifetime record of 224-55-39-26 and owns a mark of 1:49 1/5 set at Pocono as a 4-year-old. Bred by Brittany Farms and Brian Monieson Revtrust, Great Vintage began his career in the Jimmy Takter barn and won an elimination of the Metro as a 2-year-old before finishing third in the final. He was also a New York Sire Stakes winner at 3 in 2011, a Taylor Memorial winner at Harrah's Philadelphia in 2015, and an upper-level conditioned horse for most of his career. Great Vintage moved to the Gary Candell barn late in 2018 and remained there until early 2021 when Stacey Van Huizen took over as owner/trainer. Now the stallion lives in Pennsylvania with some Amish people and is being used to breed to some of their mares according to former owner Christina Takter. "First we gave him to Stacey Van Huizen and she raced him a bit in Ohio, but he was getting tired and old," said Takter. "We found a good home for him to spend the rest of his life. They still send me pictures from time to time." The top trotter from the retiring list is a name very familiar to those who follow racing at the Meadowlands, Pocono and Yonkers. Zooming earned $1,181,784 while winning 72 times from 341 races in his career. The son of Classic Photo-Merit Lane was such a prominent player at Pocono that he took his seasonal mark there every year from 2012 to 2022. Bred by Brittany Farms, Zooming made his million the hard way via overnight races against the best Open trotters on the east coast. While his career started in the Jimmy Takter and then Julie Miller barns, he found a home in the Amber Buter barn in 2012 and never left. "He showed up to race every time he was in-to-go and very rarely raced poor. He really helped us get on our feet on the East Coast," said Amber's husband and often driver of Zooming, Tyler Buter. "We still have him at the farm along with City Hall and Amber takes care of them. Zooming is broke to ride and he is spoiled to death." Texican N is the second New Zealand-bred to make the cut for this article and one who is still plying his trade deep into December. Since coming to these shores in 2013, the son of Bettor's Delight-Burn My Heart has earned over $800,000 and won 32 races, which have his career totals at 255-32-40-45 and $1,057,104. Mostly a top overnight horse, Texican N did finish third in the 2016 Levy Memorial final at Yonkers and was a regular at that track for trainer Peter Tritton until July 2019. From then he was a hot commodity in the claiming box before ultimately winding up in the Karen Garland barn - where he remains today - in June 2020. "He has held his own," said Garland about his two-plus years in her barn. "He's a little on the hyper side and has a personality. He's the type if he's not out on the track by a certain time he's not happy." With his affinity for racing, Garland and owners Richard Pantano and Daniel Figliolino are still figuring out how or if retirement will sit well with Texican N. "Things are up in the air. We gave Bobjacks Angle A to a lady in Pennsylvania and she might be interested. We are trying to decide whether to race him in the amateurs or not," said Garland, who added that the new rules in place to limit 15-year-old starters to one race every two weeks could be an issue. "I think he would hold his own, but he would probably drive us crazy," chuckled Garland. "When he misses a week of racing, he's a handful. I have 2-year-olds in the barn that are mellower than him." Townslight Hanover surely made a name for himself during his 327-race career by winning $1,054,594. The son of Bettor's Delight-Towner's Image bred by Hanover Shoe Farms also ranks as the fastest retiree with a 1:48 4/5 clocking set at Pocono and the Meadowlands in 2012 and 2013, respectively. "He was a champion on and off the track," said trainer Aaron Lambert, who had the horse from 2010 to 2019, though a bit of luck played a role in the pairing. "I bought a horse at Harrisburg from Hanover for my owner Ken Tucci and broke him in, but he was full of EPM. Hanover did the right thing and gave us half credit and half cash or something like that. I asked Jim Simpson at the time if he had any horses that were sick or got hurt before the sale that he would part with now. He got back to me the next day with a pacing filly, trotting filly and a pacing colt, which turned out to be Townslight Hanover...he chipped a P1 that lodged up on his left side ankle, and they thought he wouldn't race, but he ended up winning a million dollars." Townslight Hanover was a New York Sire Stakes champion as a 2-year-old and finished second in both the Cane Pace and Monument Circle stakes the following year as a sophomore for Lambert. He changed hands a number of times via claims in 2019, ultimately landing in the Howard Weir Jr. stable in early 2021, but tragedy struck in March of the following year. "I called up the guy to buy him back, but he told me the horse was in an accident at Northfield and had to be put down. It's sad because he would've had a home with me forever. He put my kids through college," said Lambert. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Rock To Glory falls just short of millionaire status at $972,944, but since he has already earned $36,360 in 2022, perhaps that milestone can still be reached. Owner/trainer Stacy Chiodo has been entering the son of Rocknroll Hanover-Faded Glory in the amateur ranks with her husband Bruno in the bike, and the plan is to keep the old guy in action as a 15-year-old in 2023. "He's healthy and Bruno absolutely loves him and wishes we had 10 more of him," said Chiodo, confirming that Rock To Glory would return in 2023. "It will be close for him to reach a million in earnings because he has one more start this year and then he can earn up to $25,000 next year based on the new amateur rules. It could come down to hundreds." Chiodo also mentioned a bunch of new conditions that most of the amateur clubs have adopted and the USTA is considering for a rule change. Those include an earning max of $25,000, the ability to start only every other week and mandatory retirement if a horse hits the vets list at any time in the year. In the rare story where everything goes perfectly, Chiodo bought Rock To Glory "dirt cheap" in March 2021 simply as a horse for Bruno to use in qualifying races so he could get his "P" license to enable him to compete in the GSY Amateur series. The horse looked to be at the end of his rope in terms of competitive racing when acquired, so they promised to find him a good home after Bruno got the needed drives. "After his fifth qualifier Bruno couldn't hold him anymore, and he thought we should try to race him. He went out in that first race with Mark Macdonald and came home in 26 2/5 and won. Mark laughed because he raced the horse as a 2-year-old and then won with him at 13. How often does that happen?" said Chiodo. Rock To Glory started as a stakes horse in 2010 for trainer Casie Coleman and was second in the Nassagaweya. He continued to face the best of his division at 3 and took home a second in the Matron and third in the Progress Pace late in the year. From there his comfort zone was upper claiming races and conditioned races. Jose Godinez plucked him for $40,000 in July 2013 and had him in the barn on and off for over five years. "He's a classy horse and everyone in the area who's had contact with him comes to visit. He's an old soul," said Chiodo, who admitted his final home may be in their barn. "We have a soft spot for him now and he doesn't owe us anything." The poster child for racing past the age of 14 has to be Texas Terror N. The New Zealand-bred who was brought here in 2015 has earned $102,805 in 2022 while amassing a 32-8-7-6 record, the majority for trainer Michael Annunziata. The yearly win total is a career high for the son of Western Terror-Alicia Maree and the earnings are less than $25,000 from his best total. "I claimed him back three times this year. I love this horse and wish I had him as an 8- or a 9-year-old," said Annunziata, who has made a good living training older horses. "It's funny because last year we spoke about Watkins ($1,042,575) and now it's this horse. I have a barn full of older horses." To date, and Annunziata is hoping to get one more start at the Meadowlands - a track where he just missed his lifetime mark earlier in the year - on New Year's Eve to increase the total, Texas Terror N has earned $662,091 from 162 starts and won 35 times. Given his stellar record and current form, something Annunziata said it took plenty of hard work swimming and training to achieve during this summer, it is not surprising that the trainer hopes to see the horse on the track as a 15-year-old. "He loves the Meadowlands and the GSY [amateur series] is a perfect fit. That series has been good to me and it is such a fun program," said Annunziata. Texas Terror N led the way in earnings for pacers in 2022, and Ubanji holds that mark on the trotting side. Checking in at $56,025, Ubanji has put in a strong season with eight wins in 30 starts. The French-bred came to the U.S. in 2018 and has earned over $240,000 during that period. Ubanji was claimed in November 2021 for $10,000 by owner/trainer Elisha Lafreniere, who also had the horse for a stint earlier that year. "I definitely got my money's worth," said Lafreniere about the claim. "He has four clean legs and really loves racing. The times he has made breaks is because he is sitting the hole and he would rather be on the lead or first-over." The son of Jag De Bellouet-Perle D'Aunou originally came to the U.S. as part of a larger French contingent of horses that were designed to compete in a series of races at Yonkers Raceway. Lafreniere is hoping his overseas experience helps find him a good home in the U.S. "Right now he is turned out on my farm and I'm not in a rush to move him; he's paid for himself. When the right home comes along it'll just happen. I was hoping to find someone that wants to ride him under saddle because he did that in Europe. I put him on Facebook but so far no one has called. He is a little strong in the face so he's not a kid's horse," said Lafreniere, who also mentioned dressage as a possible avenue for Ubanji's post-racing career. Nathan Feelsgood isn't the richest or fastest 14-year-old still in action, but no horse in his class has gone behind the gate more in 2022. The son of Mr Feelgood-Black Chana has started 44 times as a 14-year-old and put together a very respectable 44-3-7-9 record to go along with $42,890 in earnings. "He likes racing and I'm sad that he'll have to stop. He always tries hard," said caretaker Courtney Polan, who added that the horse is in good shape outside of little aches and pains that come with age. Nathan Feelsgood is owned/trained by Peter Stratton and competes at The Meadows where he was claimed for $10,000 in February 2020. It was a rough go for Stratton at first, with the pacer only recording one win and earning about $10,000 in 44 starts from the time of the claim through the end of 2021. Yet the light went on for the career winner of $517,431 in 2022. "I started working with [Nathan Feelsgood] about a year ago. He got claimed [June 2022] and I bawled like a baby. Pete [Stratton] told me he's 14 years old and he's not claiming him back, but he was joking," said Polan, who isn't quite sure yet where the gelding will retire. "We discussed him living with me jokingly and I would 100 percent take him. Peter might keep him turned out as a buddy. He did jokingly consider sending him to the Meadowlands because they allow 15-year-olds [in amateur races], but he didn't want to do that to the horse." Nathan Feelsgood is expected to get at least one more start. He was entered in the first race on December 23 at The Meadows from post three, but the track canceled due to freezing temperatures and low wind chills. We end our spotlight on 14-year-olds with the horse that raced more times than any of his peers. Hopetobefirst was first 64 times in his career while starting an amazing 463 times, an average of 35.6 starts per year. Perhaps saving his best for last, the son of Hopetobebest-Sagebrush has earned $55,615 to date, about $1,500 off his career-best total in 2019. "The people that owned him wanted to try him at Northville because they thought he can be more competitive here," said trainer Mark Headworth, who just got the horse in late November of this year. "He really has no problems. His legs are clean, he's sound and feels good." While he has never raced for a purse above $35,000 and most of his races have been in classes worth less than $10,000, Hopetobefirst has been able to earn his way with consistency to make $405,638 during his career. His ability to show up and try hard has also led to a 47 percent on-the-board rate. According to Headworth, Hopetobefirst was scheduled to leave his barn on December 20 with the hope of making his final career start at The Meadows before retirement. "For his first start here they had me race him in a $10,000 claimer, and I thought that was a bit high, but he finished a good second. After that they told me to drop him in for $4,000 and if someone took him they would claim him back to retire him. I know they have rode him before," said Headworth. It is worth noting that six 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old also made appearances on the track in 2022. Dream Out Loud N led the way with nine wins in 27 starts and earnings of $61,076. He is now officially retired according to Courtney Polan, who said her friend has him and he could eventually be used for outriding. The millionaire Watkins, who we highlighted last year, is the most recent starter, having made an appearance at Freehold in November. Statesman N was able to bank $19,601 in 2022 but fell a few thousand short of reaching $1 million lifetime. The lone 16-year-old from the crop of 2006 was Best Dream Seeker. He raced 12 times and picked up a lone win. For those 14-year-olds that are calling it a career, we thank them for their service and salute them for leaving it all out on the track week after week. To the few which will go on another year in the amateur ranks, we wish them good health and smooth trips.