Hastings, MI – Closing day for the 2025 meet at Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center was bittersweet, as more track records were either equaled or fell and tributes to the 14-year-old pacers and a state racing steward’s retirement were held on Wednesday (Oct 15).
The afternoon started off cloudy and cool with temperatures in the low 50s following an overnight rain, but things quickly heated up on the track in race one as Allamerican Beach (Wakizashi Beach – Graney) and driver Brad Kramer set a new track record for 2-year-old gelding pacers in 1:59.3 by winning in wire-to-wire fashion by a one length margin. Allamerican Beach is owned in partnership by Al Tomlinson and Jack Mitchell, Jr. and is conditioned by Al Tomlinson.
In race two, Anna Bri and Me (Fred and Ginger – Miss Wells) and driver Kody Massey equaled the track record of 1:59.2 for 3-year-old filly pacers that was originally set by Royalty Girl (K. Massey) on Sept 10. Anna Bri and Me is owned by Gregory Gardner and trained by Paul Cloer, Jr. and she also won in wire-to-wire fashion.
In race three, Gap Hunter (Bondi Hanover – Fox Valley Bailey) came from off the pace and equaled the track record for 3-year-old gelding pacers in 1:57.4, a record that was established on Oct. 8 by King Putt (J. Casagranda). However, later in the day, in race 10, King Putt (Jk Endofanera – PV Miracle Mary) would re-claim the record by winning with driver Brad Kramer in the bike by 6-1/4 lengths in a stellar 1:55.2 final clocking.
Gap Hunter is owned and trained by Jocelyn Bates and was driven by Ty Goodell. King Putt is bred, owned, and trained in Hastings, MI by Joe Casagranda.
During the race programs this week, the 14-year-old pacers that were in to go, were honored individually for their lifetime accomplishments as they are facing mandatory retirement at the end of 2025 per racing rules. Those horses honored were Itsonlyrockandroll A, Mach Stockn Barrel, All the Bettor, Model Ninetyfour, Avalanche Hanover and Liberal.
Also honored, after race eight, with a horsemen’s walk over, was Michigan State Steward Jim Curran, a Jackson, MI native, who has also been a harness trainer and driver.
Jim was a winner of over 4,000 races as a driver in a storied career that led to his induction into the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1987 along with drivers Dave Magee and Connel Willis, and for years now, Jim has served his home state and others as a racing steward since 2001.
As a driver, Jim went on to win driving titles at Maywood, Sportsman`s Park and Balmoral, And it all started with his first driving win with a horse named Russota on Aug. 2, 1967, at the Mason County (MI) Fair.
When asked in an interview in 1987 how horse racing impacted his life, Jim replied, ”The horses have given me more enjoyment than anything I have experienced in the sport, When I look back, the things that stand out are the big races I’ve won, the good horses I’ve driven and the fast miles I’ve raced.”
Jim drove Rambling Willie in the early 1970s before Rambling Willie was the great horse he ended up being.
And now, after years of serving the racing industry, Jim has set his sights on enjoying retirement.
Finally, the driver and trainer titles were decided on Wednesday with Kody Massey (40 wins) capturing the driving title and Paul Cloer, Jr, the training title.
Driver David Lake had closed the gap on Massey in the last couple of weeks and got to within two by the end of the program but ran out of time and had to settle for second with 38 wins. Paul Cloer, Jr. opened the day one win behind Gerald Malady for the training title and in a second-place tie with David Lake, but Cloer nabbed four wins on the afternoon while Lake and Malady had no training wins. Those four wins on the day solidified Cloer’s title with 14 wins on the meet, Malady was second with 11 and Lake third with 10.