Author: from Dana Ziter for MMXX Standardbreds

Homicide Hunter, the active world-record holder for the fastest trotting mile in harness racing history, has once again reached the summit of competition, this time in a completely different arena. The iconic Standardbred has been named 2025 SPHO-NJ Horse of the Year, the highest honor awarded annually to the top nationally-pointed Standardbred in the show ring.

The Muscle Hill sophomore gelding Net Weight, in his first start in six months, was more than ready for the $12,000 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on a sub-freezing Friday afternoon (Dec. 26), winning by two lengths in 1:59.3.

Robert Michael used an aggressive three-wide brush down the backstretch and drew clear of the field of nine in the featured $18,000 conditioned claiming trot Monday evening (Dec. 22) at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.

Whatchagonnado made it three straight wins with a front stepping trip in the co-featured $18,000 conditioned claiming pace Friday night (Dec. 19) at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.

The Swan For All 3-year-old gelding Trump The Warrior gained steadily the last three-eighths of a mile to overhaul pacesetter RJ Don’t Peachim and win the quicker of two $12,000 featured trots for developing horses in 1:59 Friday (Dec. 19) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. There was a strong stretch headwind all day, while both the surface and variant were changed: from “sloppy” to “good,” but counterintuitively from “+1” to “+2.”

MGM Yonkers Raceway’s leading driver Jason Bartlett and top trainer Per Engblom put a bow on their season by winning the $250,000 MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series final on Friday afternoon (Dec. 19) with Coaches Corner in 2:23.1 for the mile and a quarter.