Mane Attraction’s 2024 highlights

In these near-sighted eyes, there are, actually, two types of highlights…the first being garnered by the deserving through harness racing performance on the tracks and the second caused by deeds that are of a less desirable nature.

Being of optimistic nature, this focus is on the former but, having stated that, looks a bit beyond and seeks to put a spotlight on those who have accomplished much…but overshadowed by the ones who dominate the headlines through performance that makes our sport and industry so grand…but never get the headlines or, even, a “bit” of print.

Whether it be a horse, driver, trainer, owner or organization, this is a mere thank you to all participants in a sport that is loved so much and been a part of this life for 65 years.

Here goes…

About  four years ago, a teenager came into my humble abode at Pompano Park.

He, too, was humble, very respectful and attempting to get fully saturated in our sport, having seen his parents involved as caretakers.

There was no explaining the long road to success in this industry—he already knew that—but his determination to succeed was more than evident.

Looking back at that year, he had a total of three wins in 2020 and purse earnings amounted to a few dollars more than $17,000…a “start,” as they say.

He, slowly but surely, was striding out of obscurity and, in 2023, worked his way up impressively and got some live drives in Indiana and Kentucky from noteworthy trainers such as Tony Alagna, Ron Burke, Trent Stohler and Walter Haynes, Jr., among others, and had a million dollar season.

While Brett Beckwith and Braxton Boyd got most of the headlines—deservedly so—Marvin Alfredo Luna seemed to be in demand from many of our sport’s elite trainers in the midwest, adding a “score” of trainers to his resume’ including Annette Lorentzon, Melanie Wrenn, Ken Rucker, Erv Miller,…even Ake Svanstedt and Joe Bongiorno on occasion.

Flying “under the radar,” Marvin Luna won 255 races while earning over $3.6 million for trainers and owners this year and is “batting” over .280 against the best competition this sport has to offer and was able to finish on page one of USTA’s top performers list in both purses won and wins.

A tip of our Harnesslink cap to Marvin Alfredo Luna.

Next…

Brad Kramer has been around a long, long time.

Now approaching 68, the great Michigander has over 8,300 wins and since his first win 43 years ago, has been known as one of the leading percentage drivers in the sport.

With Michigan pari-mutuel racing decimated in recent years, Kramer has relied on Fair racing to stay viable in the sport…and keep trainers and owners viable, as well.

With only 131 drives at the Fairs this season, Brad Kramer posted a UDRS of .569, leading all drivers in that category with 10 to 300 drives.

His purse total of $410,347 for owners and trainers, may not seem “all that much” to this top driver that had 17 straight million dollar years, but that purse total and Fair racing is significant and keeps a heart-beat in Michigan harness racing.

Caps off to salute the outstanding Brad Kramer.

Next, Mane Attraction starts with a new category—a MANE ATTRACTION INVENTION—the “UHRS.”

The USTA has the “batting averages” for drivers (UDRS) and trainers (UTRS)…so here is one for our “tracers” and “potters”—the UHRS.

And this category honors a seven-year-old mare Need Ur Opinion.

What a year for her in 2024!

Need Up Opinion had 20 wins in 36 starts leading to our “UHRS” batting average of .648 while competing in the northeast at Dover Downs, Harrington, Ocean Downs, Philadelphia Park and, recently for the first time, at Northfield Park in a qualifier for owner Ameer Najor (of Southwind Amazon fame).

In for a “tag” as the year began, she was first claimed last Valentine’s Day off of a win ($10,000 plus allowances, of course) and then claimed back two starts later at a “premium” price, no less, extending her streak to three.

After yet another win for a “bit” higher tag—“12”—she was claimed back—a third claim—in mid-March.

After a win at Harrington with a “12.5” tag, she was claimed by new blood a week later and proceeded to extend a current winning streak to four before yet another streak started—SEVEN CONSECUTIVE WEEKS WHERE SHE WAS CLAIMED—that last claim by Najor.

Need Ur Opinion didn’t get many headlines while winning  $95,031 in 2024 but, in the “opinion” of Mane Attraction, deserves the ink…along with a thousand other horses that help fill races in a sport in need…

Up north of the border, the four-year-old gelding Hugh Heff had a batting average of .741 on the strength of a 24-9-2 scorecard in 36 starts, winning $51,322…racing for purses no.higher than $6,205 (U.S.) with some as low as $1,224.

Throughout the season, Hugh Heff was trained by, first, Gerard Demers, then Mandy Archer and, finally, Dana Getto…and it’s very likely that anyone has seen their names in marquee’ lights in 2024.

Hugh Heff’s mark is 1:53, accomplished at Georgian Downs.

Of course, Mane Attraction has to give a shoutout to Southwind Amazon with his current lifetime report includes 139 wins and a lifetime “UHRS” batting average a “bit” over .497…better than baseball’s Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb!!!

The Amazin’ Amazon is two starts from another milestone—400 lifetime—and trainer Paul Holzman is going to try and squeeze them in before midnight on New Year’s Eve!

Yet another highlight was with a gentleman named Paul O’Neil, from Saratoga Springs, New York.

Paul has been an owner for 30 plus years and has a chain of feed stores for all breeds…and barnyard and domestic animals…even wild birds!!

What a wonderful, down-to-earth, hard working gent and a true lover of the standardbred with a strong sense of integrity—especially with Hall-of-Fame horseman Wally Hennessey.

“Honesty and integrity is all we have when the part is over,” he once said, “and what’s right is right!”

It’s amazing that he survived his first foray into harness racing…a trotter that started 10 times…with one win…in 2:05.4…with earnings of $1,512.

But, over the years, things got better.

Godiva Seelster was one favorite at Pompano Park…but turned out to be so great that the Racing Secretary could find no competition and she was forced to exit Pompano Park.

“When someone tells you a horse change your life,” Paul lamented, “Godiva Seelster was the perfect example of that!”

Off to Northfield Park she paced leaving trainer-driver Wally Hennessey for Jessica Roegner.

Godiva Seelster took a mark of 1:50 on the Ohio half-miler—a world record—at the age of eight.

Boli and Sea Shadow are other examples of O’Neil’s success as an owner with each turning out to be a star in their own right in recent years.

In late 2023, OnGait had one for sale on their website named Soft Shot with a 2-1-2 scorecard in six starts and $18,000 and change as a two-year-old and Paul clicked the button and proved to be the final bidder for the price of $30,000.

“I liked what I saw on the replays,” he said, “sooooo, click!”

After a decent qualifier at Northfield, she made her first start on a raw, end-of-March night in a non-winners of two pari-mutuel races event for fillies and mares and wired her foes from the six post in 1:56.2—:56.1-:27.4.

The next week, she was in a NW4 on an even colder night and cruised in 1:54.3.

A week later, she was all alone at the wire in that same class in 1:54 and then made yet another jump in class and cruised again in 1:53.3.

In her next start, she waltzed home again extending her winning streak to five and, in her very next start, she was elevated to the Open Handicap for fillies and mares and, after a hard-fought war to the top in a demanding :26, Soft Shot, again, all alone in a lifetime best 1:52.1.

A repeat win in that Open class followed—now seven-in-a-row—with her bounty to that point ($47,000) more than covering her OnGait purchase price.

After a well deserved month off, Soft Shot returned to the winner’s circle but she finally got a taste of defeat in the top class for the fillies and mares,,,not being able to overcome an outside post in a race with “cheap” fractions the opening half mile.

In her first “big money” event—The Courageous Lady at Northfield, she finished third after sizzling through fast fractions and then took a couple of weeks off to freshen up.

On to The Meadows, Soft Shot in their Open Handicap for Fillies and Mares, wired a strong field in a lifetime best 1:51…and it was that event that Paul O’Neil made a decision to supplement her to the most prestigious event for sophomore pacing fillies—The Jugette.

Back to O’Neil’s belief in integrity, Paul asked Hennessey if he would like to travel to Delaware, Ohio to handle her in The Jugette.

Hennessey, with those same beliefs, answered, “Let ‘purple’ drive”—the “purple being David Miller.”

The Jugette, of course, is a test for speed and durability—a rare commodity in this modern era of our sport—with two grueling heats leading to the Jugette crown.

Of course, luck plays a role in any race…but, in reality, when it concerns any event over the famed Delaware, Ohio half mile track, “luck” begins three days prior with the DRAW.

Drawing the coveted inside post, Soft Shot, with “purple” in the sulky, journeyed through fractions of :27, :55 and 1:22.3 before a :27 heart throbbing final quarter mile brought her to the wire in a lifetime best 1:49.3.

The journey was only half completed.

The $260,000 final completed the mission as Soft Shot, again drawing the inside post, lead at every pole to score a 2 1/2 lengths in 1:51.

In the winner’s circle, for many, it’s just another notch in the belt of wins in prestigious events.

For Paul and Patti O’Neil, it was the moment of a lifetime…and a highlight to be never erased from memory.

Finally, a highlight about one of our favorite categories—the amateurs…

“Yogi” Sheridan has been named Amateur Driver of the Year in a vote conducted by the United States Harness Writers Association with all amateur driving clubs.

Records speak for themselves and “Yogi” has many accomplishments over a career in which he has devoted his life…but it’s also a reflection of the conglomerate of amateur clubs through the land.

Amateur clubs are known for their member’s generosity in donating 100% of their driving earnings in their designated races to charity (and with very strong backing from the professionals like Tim Tetrick, David Miller and Wally Hennessey, to name a few.)

Their donations this year alone amount to well over $300,000 and include Foundations that save standardbreds from the “kill pen’ and train them to become heroes as riding horses, therapy horses and show horses.

As Wally Hennessey put it, “Just look what they continue to do…funding rescue and adoption programs, Toys for Tots, Make-A-Wish, area Y.M.C.A. locations, Food Pantries, Wounded Warriors, St. Jude Research, our great Hall of Fame Museum in Goshen…and that’s just a handful of the good they do.

“When an amateur event is on a racing program, you get new fans to the track and they get a taste of being in the starting gate, seeing the announcer in action and having fun at the races!

“And another thing,” Hennessey said, “harness racing gets positive press in print, on the ‘net’ and, sometimes, even on television.

“It’s a win all around for our sport!”

Yes, we honor the few champions with banquets and ceremonies but, when reality sets in, it’s the thousands of horses—from the “3” claimers on up—that never get headlines that try and keep the stitches tight in the race office to knit together racing programs throughout North America.

Mane Attraction salutes them all…

May The Horse Be With You

by John Berry, for Harnesslink