Dunn on top of the world yet again

Champion New Zealand reinsman Dexter Dunn was the leading money-winning harness racing driver in North America for the third consecutive season.

The 33-year-old Christchurch native drove the winners of $US15.1million in the closing season, almost $US600,000 ahead of his nearest rival, Tim Tetrick. He drove 308 winners in 2022 from 1,574 starts – a brilliant 20 per cent strike rate.

Dunn was also the leading driver on the Grand Circuit points table for the second time.

He landed seven Grand Circuit winners in 2022, including a remarkable four Breeders Crown finals on the one night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Ontario.

Dunn partnered Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play) during the “greatest speed streak in history”, which encompassed six sub 1:47-winning miles including a historic 1:45.8 triumph in the William Haughton Memorial at The Meadowlands in July.

Dunn drove four of the divisional winners of the USA Horse of the Year awards in Bulldog Hanover (Older Male Pacer), Treacherous Dragon (3YO Pacing Filly), Ecurie D (Older Male Trotter) and Bella Bellini (Older Female Trotter).

Since commencing driving in North America in August 2018, Dunn has steered the winners of an amazing $US53million. Among his most important successes are the Breeders Crown (12 finals), Cane Pace, Kentucky Futurity, Hambletonian Oaks, John Cashman Memorial, William Wellwood, Hambletonian Maturity, Fan Hanover and Little Brown Jugette.

Dunn is the most successful ANZAC driver ever in the northern hemisphere with 22 Group 1 wins, according to John Peck’s new book Melbourne Racing Venues. Another ex-Kiwi in Brett Pelling is the leading Group 1 trainer north of the equator with 24.

The Bathurst-born McCarthy brothers again finished in the top 10 on the USA driver standings, with Todd steering the winners of $US9.4million and Andrew $US7.8million.

Todd McCarthy’s biggest successes last year were the North America Cup and Breeders Crown with Pebble Beach and the Hambletonian with Cool Papa Bell.

Mount Isa native Noel Daley, the trainer of Pebble Beach, finished ninth on the trainers’ premiership with $US4.1million, while ex-Kiwi horsemen Chris Ryder ($US3.9million), Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman ($US3.8million) and Pelling ($US3.7million) were inside the top 20.