Harness: Stage is set for an explosion of trotting talent in 2021

There are many, this writer included, that can't wait for 2021 to begin and hopefully usher in a return to life the way we knew it prior to the advent of COVID-19. Thankfully our sport was spared some of the incredible harm done to others during this time and the racing season managed to bring out a group of horses that could offer inspiration for the future of trotting. More immediately, the freshman trotting class of 2020 offered us a host of fleet-footed and slickly-gaited colts and fillies, enough to believe that next year's premier trotting classics will have incredible depth, with talent stretching from Kentucky to Ontario.

The times didn't work out exactly as planned for the Mohawk Million but thankfully the initial contest proved a showcase for a couple of the year's finest freshman, including a filly that looked more impressive than any colt heading into the late-September contest. It was a joy to watch Donna Soprano advance for trainer Luc Blais, capturing her first five races of 2020 in effortless fashion. That she finished second in the $1 million contest was nothing to be ashamed of. Though she did not win the Breeders Crown and may lose the division title for a lack of late season performance, there's plenty of reason to believe she will be an extremely bright light in 2021, one that may in fact look to become the second straight filly to win the Hambletonian.

It is truly a hope that the 3-year-old trotting class to come in 2021 will have a full card of stakes races to compete in before and after the August classic, but given the way Sire Stakes races have been structured, we have to be thankful whenever all of the best show up in the same entry box.

The trotting season ended far differently than it started out, with many of the early-season standouts not around to finish the season or not nearly sharp enough to accept the challenge of late bloomers. It's hard for me to believe that Captain Corey, a juvenile that looked as imposing as a horse could be moving his way cleanly through the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program, would return to the Breeders Crown and finish off-the-board for the first time in the final. Trainer Ake Svanstedt had been known for getting his horses ready for one specific race in the past and given his careful handling of Captain Corey (not sending him to Mohawk for the Million or Lexington's Red Mile), expectations were high at Hoosier Park. Perhaps in missing those important races Captain Corey entered the Crown without ever being stressed through a first or second quarter at rapid speed. In the final it was the son of Googoo Gaagaa that cut a wicked clip only to fall short over the long Hoosier stretch.

Physically Captain Corey looked more like a 4-year-old than a 2-year-old on the racetrack, but perhaps he still needed to grow up a little bit or get more race-ready. I firmly expect given his limited starts in 2020 that Captain Corey will again shine in 2021.

It's always great to see a breeding experiment come to fruition and Venerate, the richest 2-year-old of 2020, has a pedigree that combines an incredible broodmare baseline with French-bred stallion Love You. The gift is that when breeders decided to mix this blood they likely never thought it would lead to extremely fast 2-year-olds, but in the case of Venerate and two other 2020 freshman, there was speed to spare. Venerate went two of his best miles of the year on the front end, with a record 1:51 4/5 mile capturing the Kentucky Sire Stakes final at The Red Mile in September and a 1:52 2/5 blowout performance in the Breeders Crown elimination at Hoosier Park, handing Captain Corey his first defeat. Even Venerate's third-place finish in the Crown was exceptional given his taxing journey trying to clear a stubborn Captain Corey in the middle half and only beaten a length at the wire to a pair with far easier journeys. Trainer Julie Miller and her husband driver Andy are certain to have Venerate ready for the big races. Those who love the international pedigree will certainly expect him to be a better sophomore.

Dancinginthedark M and Cuatro De Julio were the two other stakes-winning colts this season sporting international pedigrees, with the former authoring a 1:52 2/5 mark and the latter scoring in 1:51 3/5 at The Red Mile. For Cuatro De Julio, the effects of two sub-1:52 miles and 13 previous races may have made the break he made in the Breeders Crown elimination more understandable to all that didn't make him the 6-5 favorite at Hoosier Park on that October 23 evening.

It would be shortsighted to leave stablemates Macho Martini or On A Streak off any list of potential standouts in 2021 given their dominance at different times during the freshman season. Macho Martini did everything right winning his first seven starts heading into the William Wellwood Memorial where he ran into some road trouble finishing third. He finished his campaign racing exclusively in Ontario, with eight wins in 11 starts. On A Streak wasn't the richest 2-year-old in North America but he certainly knew how to pick the right time to win a race or two. His streak of good luck came as a 15-1 upsetter in the Wellwood Memorial and then a 9-1 surprise capturing the Breeders Crown at the end of October. A second-place finish in the Valley Victory left him behind Venerate in the yearly earnings standings but his connections should be proud of his efforts.

We're hoping that 2021 could be a year where three superbly-bred trotters make their mark. It was Bee Forever, the regally bred gelded son of Muscle Hill and Bee A Magician who stopped On A Streak's winning streak at one in capturing the Valley Victory, thereby placing himself in contention in this uber-talented freshman class. While Bee Forever never mixed it up in a 1:52 mile, it was clear by year's end that he was improving with each start and has the talent to take the next step.

The year 2019 will be remembered by breeders for the sport's first two $1 million-plus yearlings in Maverick and Damien. The one-named tandem with both looks and unmatched pedigrees had been closely watched before ever setting foot on the track. For the record, Maverick did in fact set foot on the track this year and the full brother to Greenshoe earned a 1:57 2/5 record in one of his two victories for trainer Tony Alagna. Damien had one qualifier where he broke after interference early in the mile. His trainer Marcus Melander had suggested at giving him a few starts late in the campaign, but the Muscle Hill colt did not return.

We're less than eight months away from the 2021 Hambletonian and there is a lot that can happen between now and then. For humanity it's worth hoping that enough vaccines are produced and utilized to give our society a chance to spend time outdoors and in large groups. Nothing would offer greater satisfaction than seeing a record crowd show up at The Meadowlands on the first Saturday in August. The thought of people being able to travel freely again, with East Rutherford the destination for owners from around the world, to witness a race in person seems within reach. It would be fantastic to see the Hambletonian as an international spectacle with transcontinental pedigrees battling for the most prestigious prize in the sport and owners arriving from across the globe to watch them.

Here's hoping to see more people enjoy racing in person in 2021.