Anyone that has owned, trained or driven a horse is acutely aware of how difficult it is to win a race. Some horses just train against stablemates and never make it to the races. Others live in non-winners company most of their racing careers. Then there are those horses that have the magic combination of ability and desire and defy the odds. These horses find a way to win when others will lose. These horses find a way to show up on a weekly basis and perform with optimum ability, while others either lack the desire or physical health to continue. Races go on daily throughout North America, with a limited number of horses ever registering 10 wins on a given season. In 2024, six pacers exceeded expectations and had the distinction of winning 18 races or more. The king of this year's court is a Maritime monster by the name of Hugh Heff with an incredible 24 victories to his credit during a 40-race campaign. Trainer Dana Getto acquired the 4-year-old altered son of Betterhancheddar in August, and Hugh Heff went on to win his next eight races at Northside Downs, a tight half-mile track in Nova Scotia, completing his season for Getto with an astounding 10 wins in 12 starts. "He's a very intelligent horse," said Getto. "If you noticed a lot of his wins come by a very slim margin. He knows what he's out there to do and does just enough to get the job done." Racing in the Martimes can be challenging on horsemen and horses, and Getto is most proud of what Hugh Heff has been able to accomplish under at times difficult conditions. "He's been handicapped with post six a lot," said Getto about Hugh Heff, who typically starts from the outside of the starting gate while five go inside and one goes from the trailing position, making it even more challenging to find the inside. "I've been around here for a long time (40 years or more), and you just don't see many horses winning from that spot very often." Hugh Heff won six straight times from post six at the end of the year for Getto. Intelligent horses know what the goal is when they get to the racetrack, and Getto says Hugh Heff understands what's coming. "You can see it in his eyes and his ears. He's got his game face on," relayed Getto. That face has seen more pictures with his nose in front in 2024 than another other horse in North America. "It's not the first time I've had a horse that won the most races in a year," said Getto. "I had a horse named Surrealist a few years ago, and he won the most races as well." Surrealist won 19 races in 2016 and 16 in 2017. With racing concluded for the winter, Getto is looking forward to next year when the tracks re-open in May, but with a bit of caution. "You just don't know how they will come back," Getto said. "The routine is changed and we're just jogging him now." Away from serious competition, Hugh Heff gets a well-deserved rest with the victory title secured by a comfortable margin. Only two other horses – Outlaw Spiced Rum and Need Ur Opinion – in North America were able to win 20 races this year. Outlaw Spiced Rum did her damage in the western part of Canada. The 6-year-old mare has won 20 of her 36 races to date with trainer-driver Rod Therres expecting two more starts and hopefully one additional win before the calendar turns. Therres, like Getto, both had the distinction of purchasing their winningest horse late in the season with both privately purchasing horses that were in fact racing in claiming races. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter "She wasn't racing that well on the big track," said Therres of his ability to secure Outlaw Spiced Rum. "She was running out in the stretch, but that hasn't been a problem on the five-eighths." Outlaw Spiced Rum has won six of her eight starts since moving into Therres' stable. "If I had to sum it up for her, she's all heart," he said. Outlaw Spiced Rum is currently racing at Fraser Downs in British Columbia in claiming races, but due to her success is not likely to see enough horses entered against her. "She'll most likely have to race with Open Mares," said Therres. As to what separates Outlaw Spiced Rum from the others when it comes to attitude, Therres said, "She can be quite spicy before the races when you take her onto the track. Once in the race she's easy to control." It's that kind of demeanor that has led the daughter of Blue Burner to an incredible campaign. Need Ur Opinion has the distinction of changing hands more than any other in the group. The 7-year-old mare by Warrawee Needy was claimed on a dozen occasions in 2024 and seemed to do well for all those that showed an interest. Need Ur Opinion went on a seven-race winning streak between April 9 and June 4 at Harrington Raceway. During that impressive period, she was claimed on five separate occasions. Need Ur Opinion would reach the 20-win plateau, capturing four races for trainer Dean Eckley in the final months of the year. For Lloyd's Loves, her path towards an 19-win season took a different course than the top three on this list. The 4-year-old mare by Rusty's All In won her first race in February at the $15,000 claiming level at Rosecroft and advanced incredibly from there, with her capturing an Open Handicap at the five-eighths oval in May before finding her way to Yonkers to compete in a $30,000 claimer. She would inevitably be claimed by Gilbert Garcia-Herrera at that level and go on to win six consecutive races during the summer at Yonkers and move up the ladder to the $75,000 price point. Trainer Edwin Quevedo watched many of those Yonkers wins and offered to buy the mare in November. "She's a beautiful-looking mare," said Quevedo, hardly concerned about her valuation in the early part of the year. "She proved herself on the half-mile track. I think she's an Open mare or maybe a step below." With the lucrative purses at Yonkers, Lloyd's Loves may not get the chance to win 19 races again, but she made her mark in 2024 and could close out the year with earnings exceeding $200K. Trainer Paul Blumenfeld has been a staple around Yonkers Raceway for many years, and he had no trouble reaching out on a limb to claim the 11-year-old Italian Delight N in early October for $15,000. Italian Delight N was amid an 11-race winning streak at the time and went on to win three more races in-a-row before finally meeting defeat. "He's a very classy horse," said Blumenfeld of Italian Delight N. "I thought if others could win with him that I could too." Italian Delight N is unique in the company he's keeping at the top of the wins list this year, and Blumenfeld understands what he's got. "He's got his issues, and we have to work to keep him healthy," said Blumenfeld. "What I see him doing on the racetrack now would be similar to having Michael Jordan come back and compete in the G-League. He's not the same Michael Jordan, but he can still dominate." Blumenfeld went back on the career of a one-time elite horse in Australia that Italian Delight was before coming to North America. Those roots remain and Italian Delight's competitiveness keeps him wanting to win every time he sets foot on the track. "You never know when an injury will come and keep them from going on," said Blumenfeld, balancing the risk-reward all trainers face in this business. The latest addition to the 18-win club is Woodmere Heather M. The 4-year-old mare got there on December 7 at Charlottetown Driving Park while besting a group of $7,000 claimers. The daughter of Malicious won eight straight races at one point and 16 of her 18 wins have come since moving north of the border in May to join the Jennifer Doyle barn. For the year, Woodmere Heather M's wins have come in 39 starts and she has earned $31,852 racing almost exclusively in low-level claiming races.