by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Harness racing fans should get a rare treat this year – seeing the reigning Hambletonian champion return to the races as an older horse. Over the past 22 years, only three horses that won trotting’s premier event came back to race again in North America as four-year-olds: 2003 Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall, 1995 champ Tagliabue and 1987 victor Mack Lobell.

But this year, Vivid Photo, who beat Classic Photo in last season’s Hambletonian, is preparing to follow up his award-winning three-year-old campaign by stepping into the ranks of older trotters. Vivid Photo won 16 of 25 races in 2005 and earned $1.48 million for co-owner Roger Hammer, who also trains and drives the gelding. Earlier this month, Vivid Photo was honored with the Dan Patch Award as last year’s best three-year-old male trotter.

“I think he should be all right,” said Hammer, a Bedford, Pennsylvania resident who turned 60 on February 18. “The miles he went last year were just as much as anyone else. It should be a tough division, but I’m looking forward to it.”

The older trotting division could feature a number of standouts, including three-time Dan Patch Award-winner Mr Muscleman,

Hellava Hush, Peaceful Way, Strong Yankee, and Sir Perseverance. Mr Muscleman ranks 10 th among all trotters in history in career earnings, with $3.25 million. Hellava Hush won the Mack Lobell Series final Saturday at Pompano Park. He is 4-for-4 this season and has earned $1.06 million lifetime.

Hammer expects Vivid Photo to make his return May 12 in an elimination race for the Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Vivid Photo also has the Titan Cup (July 1), Breeders Crown (July 29), Maple Leaf Trot (September 9) and Classic Series among the stakes events on his schedule. Of the Hambletonian winners to return as four-year-olds over the last two decades, Mack Lobell had the most success, winning Horse of the Year in 1988. It was his second straight honor.

“Mack was a superior horse,” Hammer said. “A lot of the other Hambletonian winners went good miles that day, but when you get to the older horses you have to be able to step up. [Vivid Photo] is going to have to step up and race in [1:]52 every week; racing in [1:]54 isn’t going to get you too much. I think he’s capable of it. The schedule for the older horses is a little more spread out, so you should be able to freshen a horse back up again.”

In addition to winning the Hambletonian last year, Vivid Photo won the World Trotting Derby in straight heats (in 1:51.3 and 1:51.2) and was second in the Kentucky Futurity, losing a race-off to Strong Yankee in 1:51.2. He also was second to Strong Yankee in the Breeders Crown. He beat Strong Yankee, 120-75, in voting for divisional honors.

“I thought he had a good shot at it, but you never know how people are going to vote,” Hammer said. “He was first or second in most of the big races and I figured that winning the Hambletonian made him a better candidate. Plus, I think people liked that I took a shot and supplemented him to a lot of races and that I took him a lot of different places for people to watch him race. I think that helps.”

As for Hammer’s three-year-old crop this season, he isn’t expecting another Hambletonian winner.

“I’ve got some nice horses, but no Vivid Photos,” he said.