Harness: Trotting fillies set to dominate 2022

With the stakes season coming to an end, much of today's discussions center around divisional and Horse of the Year honors. Following last week's Final Four at the Meadowlands, I came away with an appreciation of one group of horses that could make 2022 a very special year.

This year's crop of 2-year-old trotting fillies was extraordinary, and the results of the Goldsmith Maid may prove that there won't be a dominant filly next year, and perhaps that a filly may be destined again to win another Hambletonian.

It was hard not to come to that conclusion after the Goldsmith Maid revealed three incredible fillies that finished 1-2-3. Certainly, Joviality S deserves the credit for her late-season heroics, but there were many stars along the way, and horses with extreme speed and manners that could elevate or surpass the leaders six months from now.

While I suppose Venerable's victory in the Mohawk Million may serve as a catalyst to give her the nod in the year-end balloting, I kind of wonder whether she was in against a tougher field in the Goldsmith Maid than the one she faced at Woodbine Mohawk Park. It was Valentina Blu that finished third in the Mohawk Million, and though that New York-bred raced exceptionally well in the Goldsmith Maid, she was fourth-best to an all-filly contingent.

King Of The North was in the Mohawk Million but was a non-factor after an early break. Runner-up Duly Resolved proved a competitive type against Ontario-breds primarily but was not a major factor in late-season Grand Circuit competition at the Meadowlands.

Regardless of where we place the benefit of racing against males when giving out awards for trotting fillies, it is crystal clear that this year's crop of juvenile trotting fillies was far superior in speed and stamina to its male counterparts. While King Of The North started the season appearing to have the pedigree and performance to sweep through the boys' division, he was not able to maintain that edge over the long season.

That both Venerable and Joviality S were campaigned throughout North America and closed out the season with a 1:52 1/5 mile at the Meadowlands is inspirational to the breed and the future of trotting in the coming years. That Misswalner Fashion was every bit as good as those two, if just a bit unlucky to have drawn further outside in the Goldsmith Maid and then get roughed up, suggests she'll be a major player next year. Lost in the Goldsmith Maid conversation perhaps was that one of the year's better frosh fillies wasn't in the lineup. It would be wise not to forget the epic miles put in by Raised By Lindy, the beaten favorite in the Breeders Crown, that put in a tremendous mile over a very difficult surface at the Meadowlands and came up just a nose shy of Joviality S from capturing the title.

While it may be safe today to claim that these fillies represent the group that should dominate the action in 2022, I would be careful not to rule out those that maybe were a hair shy of them this year but showed enormous speed. While I wouldn't put any of them in the Bella Bellini-class given this year's outstanding 3-year-old indicated little as a 2-year-old, there's still plenty of reason to think a horse like Lilbitalexis can bounce back from late-season disappointment and shine as a sophomore. The brilliantly-fast Selfie Queen went one of the fastest of any 2-year-old this year when she scored in 1:51 2/5 at The Red Mile, but the daughter of Muscle Hill couldn't keep her composure when the big money was on the line, making breaks in the Mohawk Million and Breeders Crown. Of course Date Night, perfect in seven starts, is the fastest 2-year-old of 2021 with her 1:50 4/5 Lexington victory.

Then, of course, there were a few bluebloods in the field that showed glimpses of greatness but weren't exactly ready to rise to the elite level necessary for any horse to compete this year. Specifically, Joviality S's stablemate Jaya Bae had the look and the pedigree of a future star, while obviously lacking the experience necessary to compete with this super group of fillies. The Walner-sired filly from champion Mission Brief coasted to a 1:53 2/5 victory at The Red Mile in preparation for this year's Breeders Crown. Jaya Bae finished a respectable third in the Breeders Crown elimination at the Meadowlands but broke for a new driver in the final. Trainer Marcus Melander had wanted to race her further in the year, but she could not qualify for the Kindergarten final and ended her season with just four starts.

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Trainer Jim Campbell obviously has star power in this division with Misswalner Fashion, but he had another filly that caught many eyes briefly at the Meadowlands this year with the pedigree and apparent talent to do well in this group. Fashion Schooner, the Walner-sired half-sister to $1.4 million winner Broadway Donna, was a late-season starter, qualifying for the first time in September at the Meadowlands. She debuted in a Kindergarten leg with a solid third-place finish coming from well back. So impressive was the mile that when she shipped to The Red Mile for a Grand Circuit stakes appearance, she was sent off as the 9-10 favorite. Fashion Schooner would make breaks in both starts at The Red Mile. According to Campbell, both his fillies were training well together until April when Fashion Schooner missed time due to sickness that would compromise her freshman season.

Horse of the Year voting at times condemns the horses that race against the toughest competition. In the case of this year's 2-year-old trotting filly division, the presence of horses the caliber of Venerable and Joviality S tend to disqualify themselves from earning the title. This is a flaw in the system that is not likely to ever be repaired, yet it often poses the question of whether the actual "best" horse wins the Horse of the Year title.

Let's say those two are at the head of an incredible class that we expect to shine brightly in 2022.