by Dean A. Hoffman

It can’t be that the tracks are all getting shorter. It can’t be that tracks are all now downhill. It can’t be that horses have the wind at their backs every step of the way.

The only explanation for the explosion of extreme speed this year is that Standardbreds are simply getting better each year. They are not only going faster, but they are also going faster at an earlier age. Many of the top sophomore pacers can pace under 1:50 on a big track every time they turn to the gate. Sophomore trotters routinely shade 1:55.

To date in 2006, there have been 201 miles faster than 1:50 in the season. And there is still more than a month of racing left in 2006, although such blazing miles aren’t as commonplace in the months of November and December.

Still, the 2006 total is already far ahead of the total of 141 sub-1:50 miles last year.

Here is how the totals stack up since 2000.

SUB-1:50 MILES

2006 (to date) 201

2005 141

2004 129

2003 48

2002 64

2001 47

2000 68

These are all pacing miles, of course, since no trotter has gone faster than 1:50.2. That clocking was first set by Tom Ridge in winning the 2004 World Trotting Derby and equaled this fall by Vivid Photo at Colonial Downs.

Certainly one of the reasons for the upswing in fast miles has been the deep and talented crop of free-for-all pacers in North America this year. In fact, if you can’t pace well below 1:50, you didn’t need to show up for these events. The class was topped by such talented pacers as Lis Mara, Ponder, Holborn Hanover, Primetime Bobcat, Stonebridge Regal, and many others.

The sophomore colt pacers were deep in sub-1:50 talent, too, headed by the likes of Total Truth, Artistic Fella, Shark Gesture, My Boy David, Jereme’s Jet, and many others.

No freshman pacers made it to the list, as the fastest 2-year-old of the season is Home Bed Advantage p, 2, 1:50.1.

Listed below are the 25 fastest miles of the 2006 season thus far. If a horse paced “only” in 1:49, he didn’t even crack the Top 25. It’s been that kind of season.