Harrisburg, PA — The partnership of Courant Inc., which encompasses principal owner Anders Ström and individual partners on several horses, dominated the three-year-old trotting colt ranks while earning more than $3 million this year. They also raced freshman trotting filly Hypnotic AM and other quality performers, with the result that Courant and Melander were voted Owner of the Year and Trainer of the Year, respectively, during voting conducted by the United States Harness Writers Association, the sport’s leading media organization.

The partnership of Courant Inc., encompassing principal owner Anders Ström is the 2019 U.S. Harness Writers Association Owner of the Year. USTA Photo.

Owner of the Year, Courant Inc., partnered with Trainer of the Year, Marcus Melander, who campaigned a pair of millionaires in Greenshoe and Gimpanzee who dominated the three-year-old trotting colt ranks.

In addition, New Zealander Dexter Dunn, who had a sensational first full year campaigning in the United States and Canada, was voted as the Driver of the Year by USHWA.

Ström, who with his outright-owned horses campaigns in red-and-gold colors worn by the driver, saw Greenshoe and Gimpanzee each earn over $1 million while winning the majority of the sport’s major stakes for their group – Greenshoe a Dancer division, the Zweig, a Bluegrass division, the Kentucky Futurity, the Sire Stakes crown in New Jersey, and the Kentucky program’s championship; Gimpanzee the Yonkers Trot, the Breeders Crown, the Matron, and the New York Sire Stakes championship. Green Manalishi S added a Tompkins-Geers division, the Simcoe, and the Canadian Trotting Classic; Hypnotic AM won her New York Sire Stakes finale and the Doherty Memorial.

Despite sending only 16 starters, Courant and partners saw their horses earn over $3.9 million, putting them in the North American Top Ten. Courant also has powerful divisions of the stable in Sweden and in France, and Ström put himself in position for future success by spending over $1.6 million at the major yearling sales in Lexington and Harrisburg.

Melander, the 2018 Rising Star Award winner, took down Trainer of the Year honors in 2019. USTA Photo.

Melander, still only 27 years of age and coming off winning USHWA’s Rising Star Award, continued his rapid ascent to harness racing’s top circles.  His horses earning almost $5.4 million during 2019, fourth among all North American trainers. Gimpanzee, Greenshoe, and Green Manalishi S who dominated the sophomore trotting ranks, of course, were the primary contributors to that amount.

In addition, there were a host of young, bright prospects who showed talent in limited campaigns and could come on like gangbusters in 2020. With the firm support of his family and staff, Melander certainly didn’t have the “sophomore jinx” in 2019.

Kiwi-born Dexter Dunn, came from Down Under with sterling credentials, having won multiple New Zealand driving titles and even the 2015 World Driving Championship. But his first full season of driving in the United States and Canada produced success in quantity and quality that few, not even Dexter, would have predicted.

Horses handled by the red-and-black-clad driver won over $12 million during 2019, putting him third behind the perennial top pairing of Tim Tetrick and Yannick Gingras. He won 461 races, putting him eighth in the North American Top Ten.

In his first season in North America Dexter Dunn earned over $12 million in earnings on his way to Driver of the Year honors. New Image Media Photo.

Dunn was the driver for sophomore colt pacer Bettor’s Wish, who was the leading money-winner of 2019 with over $1.6 million in earnings and a 19-13-6-0 record primarily completing in the “glamour division.” Amigo Volo and Manchego benefited from his expertise in winning Breeders Crown events. He won championships in state programs with Bettor’s Wish in Kentucky, Milles Possesion in Pennsylvania, and Fortune Starlet in New Jersey. In his first full year of driving at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Dunn finished third in the drivers win standings, behind Tim Tetrick and George Napolitano Jr. – who between them have won the last thirteen victory belts at the oval.

And just as Melander had some “family” behind him, so did Dunn – Chris Ryder was the first to regularly use Dunn upon coming over, and a disproportionate share of Australian and New Zealand expatriate conditions quickly, and soon unhesitatingly, gave him regular work.

The remainder of the human and broodmare Dan Patch award winners are being announced tomorrow; the twelve racehorse divisional champions will be announced this Friday, January 3, at 6:30 p.m. on The Meadowlands’ “pre-races” show, with media releases following.

Anders Ström and Courant, Inc., Marcus Melander, and Dexter Dunn will be honored at USHWA’s annual Dan Patch Awards Banquet, celebrating the best and brightest of harness racing in the past year. The banquet honoring the champions of 2019 will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2020, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando FL, the climax of a weekend that also finds USHWA holding its annual national meetings. The Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year, and Horse of the Year will be revealed for the first time at the Banquet.

Tickets for the Dan Patch Awards Banquet are $180, with a filet mignon dinner featured; “post times” on February 23 are cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets, and other Banquet-related information, can be obtained through Dinner Planning Committee Chair Judy Davis-Wilson, at zoe8874@aol.com or 302 359 3630.

Hotel reservations for those attending can be made through USHWA’s website, www.ushwa.net; a link to the hotel’s computer is on the front page of the website. Those who would like to take out congratulatory ads for award winners in the always-popular Dan Patch Awards Journal can do so by contacting Kim Rinker at trotrink@aol.com.