Post the 2024 standardbred weanling sale, that question resurfaces itself…..and that’s from one of the NZ’s most enthusiastic and positive harness supporters. One man’s thoughts…. I would be hoping that the ‘powers that be’ did not see the latest weanling sale run by NZ Bloodstock as a success. This writer sat in the audience of a thinly populated arena and watched 50% of the first 60 lots get passed in! OK, some business was done later as the buyers sensed a bargain potential with 88% of the stock on offer being presented by our two major studs. But when you are prepared to led stock go for n ..read more

Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) has run second in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka and won the $1mil Miracle Mile, but a lowly $32,376 race at Albion Park on Saturday night looms as one of the most important of his harness racing career. Leap To Fame (Dan Costello Photo) That’s because the Flashing Red Handicap will be the champion pacer’s first try at standing-start racing and will go a long way to deciding if he chases the iconic New Zealand Cup – arguably the world’s most famous standing-start race – in Christchurch on November 12. As dominant as Leap To Fame was winning first-up from a break at Albi ..read more

WILKES-BARRE, PA – In the $15,000 trotting feature on Monday (June 3) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the Face Time Bourbon colt French Kronos couldn’t have had much of a harder trip early, but he then went on to the easiest of harness racing victories in a lifetime best of 1:53.2. French Kronos and driver Mattias Melander (Curtis Salonick Photo) Starting from post six and outside a host of others showing early speed, Mattias Melander kept French Kronos out three-wide much of a :28.4 opener, then went on two-wide to command under the line the first time and kept going to fractions of ..read more

NEARLY 70 FRESHMEN TO DEBUT TUESDAY The entry box for Tuesday’s harness racing qualifiers had 97 names in it this morning at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, with nearly 69 of those belonging to freshmen.  31 of the freshmen making their debut are trained by Ron Burke. There will be a total of 16 qualifiers on Tuesday, with races 5-16 exclusively for 2YOs.  The races will be shown live on the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association’s Facebook page.  Note that qualifier post time for the rest of the summer has been moved to 10:30am. Among the 2YOs that were purchased at auction ..read more

IF omens played a role into the outcome of a race then 20-year-old Hannah Parish should have taken the reins in her race track harness racing debut at Maryborough with a degree of confidence.  Hannah Parish with Miki To Success Parish was driving the Clayton Tonkin trained three-year-old Miki To Success (Always B Miki), who despite having to contend with a second row draw, was sent out a $1.45 favorite in the Benstud Standardbreds Pace.  Parish wasted little time in setting off around the field to sit parked outside the leader before forging to the front approaching the home turn.&nb ..read more

The classy New Zealand-bred Mach Three gelding Sprinter notched his third consecutive harness racing success at Oak Grove Raceway on Monday (May 27) when he led for the last three quarters, winning a $13,000 race by 1-½ lengths in 1:56.8. The win pushed his lifetime bankroll past the $US600,000 mark.  Swedish Starlet (by Mach Three), who was bred in NZ, hoisted a fresh lifetime mark of 1:52.2 leading from go to whoa in a $20,000 Fillies and Mares’ Open at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (May 28). She prevailed by three lengths and posted her sixth win for the year.  The nine-year-old Art ..read more

On North American harness racing tracks it’s all about speed over a mile trip, in Australia it’s a mix of both standing start and mobile features across a range of track sizes, in New Zealand it could be about an extreme two-mile contest or a grass track race featuring non-race winners and in Europe the champion trotter is celebrated as a king of the track. In Harnesslink Race Replays of the Week we bring you a snapshot into the very best contests from around the harness racing tracks of the world. USA REPLAY The flying Karl. They don’t much quicker than. Steven Wolf covered the New Jersey Si ..read more

Boom Kiwi-bred mare Aardie’s Express (Always B Miki) has joined the powerhouse Jason Grimson harness racing stable. Jason Grimson and driver Cam Hart. (CLub Menangle Photo) With Jack Trainor facing a possible stint on the sidelines over two swab irregularities, he and Canadian-based owner Mike Tanev opted for the stable change. Aardie’s Express has joined Grimson’s stable ahead of her return from a freshen-up at Menangle on Saturday night. “Jack worked it all out. He’s done a fantastic job with the mare and I let him decide things,” Tanev said. “It’s exciting to have her back racing and with h ..read more

SUMMERSIDE, PE – Fresh off a harness racing career best performance, Middleton Terror (Stonebridge Terror) will seek to trounce his Tuesday evening (June 4) rivals at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway. The Prince County Oval has 13-dashes hitting the track with a 6 P.M. start time. Middleton Terror is favoured in the race 12 feature for a $3,500 pot with trainer David Dowling at the lines for owners Kingsley Walsh and Frank Balcom. The five-year-old boasts 20 wins in his career but none of them faster than his May 25 victory at Red Shores Charlottetown where he stopped the clock in 1:53.2 ..read more

Trained, owned, and driven by Larry Stalbaum, Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter – Box Of Dreams) returned to the winner’s circle at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday (June 2) afternoon in the featured $15,000 Winners Over/Open Handicap harness racing trot. Big Box Hanover Big Box Hanover and Majestic Fire (Billy Dobson) battled for the lead to the opening panel in :28.2. After that mark, Big Box Hanover took command to the half in :58.1, but Duckdodgendive (Brett Beckwith) was the first to the three-quarters from the outside in 1:27. Duckdodgendive and Big Box Hanover battled against each other towa ..read more