Will a filly get to wear the Hambletonian crown?

Will a filly named Jiggy Jog jiggity jog in the $1 million Hambletonian on Saturday?

She (Walner) certainly proved her case to belong with the boys with her performance in her Hambletonian elimination last Saturday (Jul. 30), showing speed off the wings before relenting after the opening quarter and sitting chilly until it was time to get to business—especially in the final eighth—during her :26.2 kick home for Kiwi Dexter Dunn.

And yet another filly, Joviality (Walner, Brian Sears), doing all the work from just a stride or two past the opening marker with her fastest panel of the mile—:27—leaving her just a neck away with Temporal Hanover (Orjan Kihlstrom) splitting these two grand fillies at the wire.

All three were clocked in 1:52.2, which was the same time Rebuff, handled by Tim Tetrick, hit the line in the other Hambletonian elimination.

Arguments can be made for a few others, but certainly the four aforementioned are the ones with whom to contend in next week’s grand event with the draw possibly playing a huge strategical role in the eventual outcome.

While it’s rare that a filly opts to tackle the boys these days in the Hambletonian Stake—or any three-year-old trotting stakes event—almost a century ago, when the Hambletonian was in its infancy fillies, colts and geldings were, pretty much on a level field—and, in recent years, the field is appearing to level up again.

From the inaugural Hambletonian in 1926 through the first 12 editions, six fillies, five colts, and a gelding—the great grey Greyhound—won their respective Hambletonian Stakes.

In the past four Hambletonian events, there have been two fillies to win the top prize—Atlanta and Ramona Hill.

On to a “bit” of history…

Of course, Guy McKinney won the inaugural at Syracuse, N.Y. worth $73,451.32 in 1926 with Canadian Nat Ray in the sulky with his straight heats victory being in 2:05 1/4 and 2:04 1/4. Eventually, Nat Ray was honored with a trotting stake in his name, but a bit of important history for our sport was erased with the re-naming of that event some years ago.

The next year, the filly Isola’s Worthy was in the Hambletonian winner’s circle in Lexington, KY, winning the major share of a $54,694.44 purse for driver Marvin Childs—her times being 2:06 1/4 and 2:03 3/4.

The filly, by the way, had to wait a month for her glory as the event, scheduled for August in Syracuse, had to be rescheduled because of the deluge of rain in upstate New York and was, eventually, moved to Lexington.

In 1928, the third renewal of The Hambletonian was back in Syracuse, N.Y. and was won by Spencer as this son of Lee Tide conquered 10 opponents in a race valued at $66,226.25.

Spencer won in straight heats for driver William Leese—the times being 2:02 1/2 and 2:04. (Lease, by the way, eventually became the superintendent of the new “running track” near Boston, Suffolk Downs.)

Second money went to Guy Abbey, mentioned only because he went on to sire the grand world champion Greyhound, winner of the 1935 Hambletonian.

In 1929, the Hambletonian returned to Lexington, KY and was won by Walter Dear, driven by famed horsemen Walter Cox in straight heat times of 2:02 3/4. The winner was owned by William H. Cane, owner of Good Time Park, and whose name is synonymous with the Cane Pace.

Good Time Park was scene of the 1930 Hambletonian with the purse at $56,859.84 and it was the filly Hanover’s Bertha, driven by Thomas Berry, emerging with the victory in the first three heat event in Hambletonian history.

Larkspur won the first heat in 2:03 3/4 with Hanover’s Bertha winning the next two in identical times of 2:03.

(Hanover’s Bertha had a mark of 1:59 1/2 during her career and became the dam of another filly to win the prestigious Hambletonian—Shirley Hanover.)

In 1931, Good Time Park again was the Hambletonian host and, with the purse at $50,921.39, Calumet Butler was the winner in a photo finish duel lasting three heats.

The son of Truax won the final two heats in 2:03 1/4 and 2:05 1/4 for Richard McMahon after Keno (Fred Egan) won the first heat in 2:04 1/4 and was just a nose away in the final heat.

In 1932, also at Good Time Park, the first four heat Hambletonian took place and yet another filly, The Marchioness, was the winner, taking the first and last heats for driver Will Caton.

The daughter of Peter Volo won the first heat in 2:04 1/2 in this $43,339.26 event but couldn’t immediately get the job done as Hollyrood Dennis took heat number two in the fastest Hambletonian time ever—2:01 1/4. Invader kept things going in the third heat, winning in 2:04 1/4 before The Marchioness wrapped it up, winning in 2:05 1/2.

Yet another filly won the Hambletonian in 1933 as Mary Reynolds won over the Goshen, N.Y. oval, winning the major share of the $40,459.88 as the depression took a firm hold in the U.S.A.

Mary Reynolds won the first heat for driver Ben White in 2:03 3/4 and Brown Berry took the second heat in that identical time.

In what turned out to be the final heat, Brown Berry was leading in the stretch but stumbled 200 feet from the finish and unseated his driver, Fred Egan, and Mary Reynolds was able to flash past and claim victory. It was proclaimed the “$20,000 stumble” in the press.

In 1934, with the country in deep depression, the purse was $25,845.44 at Good Time Park and the combatants had to work extra hard for the money as this event went four grueling heats.

The event was considered a “complete upset” as Lord Jim, driven by H. M. Parshall, won in four heats, finishing 4-1-2-1 as Muscletone finished his heats in  3-3-1-2 with Princess Peg at 1-2-4-3 in her quad of heats.

In 1935, Good Time Park was host once again and the great Greyhound became the first gelding ever to win the Hambletonian.

Vying for a purse of $33,321, E. J. Baker’s grand trotter, driven by Sep Palin, overcame a horrendous beginning and, from last position on the backstretch, created what was described as the “most thrilling tale in horse racing ever written!” His time was 2:02 3/4.

The next year, the filly Rosalind won the Hambletonian for Ben White, who won this prestigious event for the second time.

With a purse of $35,643.33, Rosalind trotted her winning miles in 2:01 3/4 and 2:02 1/4, making her the fifth filly to win the most coveted race in the sport. The two times were the fastest in the 11-year history of the event.

In 1937, the filly Shirley Hanover evened the score with the boys at 6 to 6 by defeating her 11 rivals at Good Time Park for Henry Thomas as the purse continued to rebound from the depression at $37,912.

It would be seven years before another filly—Yankee Lass—won in 1944 with Miss Tilly (1949), Helicopter (1953), Emily’s Pride (1958), Kerry Way (1966), Duenna (1984) and Continentalvictory (1996) the only other fillies able to conquer the colts and geldings in America’s most prestigious event…until Atlanta (2018 and still going strong to this day) and Ramona Hill (2020) have whipped the boys in two Hambletonian events over the past four years..

Just as the trend for extreme speed has infiltrated the sport, the question is…Are fillies becoming the stronger sophomores. After all, they are outnumbered greatly in terms of entries in the world’s most prestigious events, but they sure have proved their strength and mettle when put in the ring for a fight against their supposed stronger brothers.

I’ve witnessed a lot of Hambletonians…but I can’t wait for this one!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink