Top Minnesota sophomores receive awards

Minnesota Harness Racing, Inc. has announced the 2022 sophomore divisional award winners in the Minnesota-sired harness racing program.

Taking the top honor in the pacing fillies division is Give Me This Dance (Wind Me Up) who is a homebred for owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and is trained by Justin Anfinson.

She not only dominated her Minnesota division with the most wins, earnings and points (349) but was also among the winning-most sophomore pacers in North America in 2022 with a total of 14 wins on the season.

Give Me This Dance took a sophomore and career mark of 1:53.3 at Running Aces with regular pilot Dean Magee in the sulky and had 26 top-three finishes from 27 starts while earning a total of $133,326. She also travelled to Northfield Park for the 2022 Courageous Lady Pace and represented Minnesota extremely well with an impressive third place finish in the 1:50.4 mile.

Kitty Wampus (It’s That Time) had a very good sophomore campaign while earning $76,200 at Running Aces with 4 wins, taking a mark of 1:53.2 with regular driver Mooney Svendsen and scoring a victory on Night of Champions. She accumulated 254 division points to secure the runner-up award. She was owned during her 2022 Minnesota campaign by her breeder Van Otterloo Stables, and was trained by Brett Ballinger.

Curvsreasyondaeyes (Easy Again) was nearly perfect in 2022 to easily capture the sophomore colt pacing division with a whopping 458 points. He was unbeaten from his first start in June all the way into late August for owner/breeder Kati Sokolowski and trainer Maria Alvarez.

He raced exclusively at Running Aces and posted a final seasonal tally of 9 wins from 10 starts, while banking $105,834 and taking a sophomore mark of 1:54.1 on Night of Champions. Luke Plano was the regular driver for Curvsreasyondaeyes.

Lovin On You (also by Easy Again) racked up 266 points to capture the runner-up spot, posting 3 wins and 10 top-three finishes from 12 Aces starts. He was the fastest in his division in 2022, taking a mark of 1:54 on September 8 with Brady Jenson in the bike for trainer Justin Anfinson and owner Jay De Long and he posted overall seasonal earnings of $54,865.

Scroll On By (Banker Volo) was the best in the sophomore filly trotting division with 6 wins from 16 starts at Running Aces and 355 division points. She took a career mark of 1:57.4 on September 4 with Rick Magee in tow, and posted seasonal earnings of $91,051 for owner Kennedy Roland and trainer Dan Roland. Angie Coleman was assistant trainer for Scroll On By.

Wilamar Spark (Southwind Flash) captured the runner-up spot with 283 points and was a carrer-best 1:58 winner on Night of Champions for owners Jeanne Marquis and Jay De Long and trainer Justin Anfinson with regular driver Dean Magee in the sulky.

Her seasonal totals included 5 wins in 16 Aces starts, and overall earnings of $74,026 for the year.

Poko Loki (Tamarind) captured the colt trotting division with a very strong close to his sophomore campaign by winning 4 of his final 6 races of the year, including the division championship race on September 17. He is owned by Ulf and Susan Holm-Johansen and is also trained by the former.

He took a career mark of 1:57.4 on Night of Champions with regular pilot Chip Lackey in the bike. Poko Loki earned $73,548 from 14 starts, racing exclusively at Running Aces.

Shadowfax (also by Tamarind) was second best in this division to capture the runner-up award with 232 points. He had 2 wins from 14 Minnesota starts, and overall seasonal earnings of $51,651 for owner Set The Pace Racing and trainer Jessica Johnson.

Shadowfax took a 1:57.1 career mark (with driver Brian Detgen) on July 31, which made him the fastest sophomore colt trotter of the season.

Next week we will be announcing the Aged divisional award winners.

All of the 2022 Minnesota Harness Racing Award winners will be celebrated at the MHRI Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on Saturday (May 6) at Running Aces. The overall Minnesota Harness Horse Of The Year award will be voted on at the Banquet.

The 2023 Minnesota Harness Racing season at Running Aces gets underway on Sunday (May 14).