from Minnesota Harness Racing, Inc.

Janesville, MN — Winners from the 2014-2015 Hoofball Fantasy Harness Racing League were announced on opening night at Running Aces.

Hoofball, now in its second year, is designed to give Minnesota harness racing fans a way to keep “in the game” during the long off season (September-June). During the last week of the Running Aces season in 2014, fans were encouraged to assemble a stable of six horses that had raced at Running Aces during the summer. In total, 62 people participated.

The new stable owners’ earnings started to accumulate the day after the pari-mutuel meet in Minnesota closed and continued to accrue until opening night in 2015. The stable owners were assisted in setting up their TrackMaster Virtual Stable so they could get e-mails when their horses were in to race. Many of the fans became regulars in the simulcasting area at Aces.

MHRI photo

Alissa Hanzal and Thomas Doe were among the winners in the Hoofball Fantasy Harness Racing League.

The Hoofball League is administered by Minnesota Harness Racing, Inc. and the $1,000 in total prizes was a collaboration between MHRI and Running Aces. First place went to Andrew Szabo whose stable earned $251,691.

“After missing out on the 2013 Hoofball contest, I made sure to enter for 2014,” Szabo explained. “It was such a thrill to follow the horses I had picked throughout the winter as they competed in all parts of the country.

“I’m extremely happy I was able to hold on during the final week of the contest where anything could have happened. Even made a few bucks betting and I got to be on track at Yonkers back in December to see the horse I’m Blue Too victorious.

“I have to give major props to Susan Schroeder for putting this contest together and I really look forward to competing again this winter.”

The other winners were Thomas Doe, who appropriately named his stable “Lotsa Doe Stable” and finished second; Cathy Dessert was third; Alissa Hanzal fourth; and Julio Trevino fifth.

The $1,000 prize was divided just as purses are: 50 percent, 25 percent, 12 percent, eight percent and five percent.

This was a conscious effort to mimic what a real stable owner would receive for their efforts.