2020 Driver/Trainer Bios

TONY ALAGNA

Born: 6/8/1972 – Birthplace: Champaign, IL – Resides: Manalapan, NJ

Tony Alagna, 48, saw Pilot Discretion finish fifth in his Hambletonian elimination and seventh in the final in 2019. Earlier in the season, the colt won the Goodtimes Stakes and was second in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial. He also was second in the Canadian Trotting Classic later in the year.

 In 2012, the Alagna-trained My MVP finished third in the Hambletonian, only a neck behind winner Market Share. Guccio edged out My MVP for second. Later that season, My MVP won the Kentucky Futurity, which is the third jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown (with the Hambletonian and Yonkers Trot).

 Alagna trained 2016 Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Caprice Hill, who was an O’Brien Award winner in Canada at ages 2 and 3. In 2015, Alagna’s Lock Down Lindy won her elimination for the Hambletonian Oaks but went off stride in the final.

 Last year, Alagna’s stable set its career high for purses, coming less than $400 from $6 million. Alagna finished second in earnings among all trainers in North America, trailing only perennial leader Ron Burke.

 Ramona Hill was a Dan Patch Award winner in 2019 for Alagna. She was voted the best 2-year-old female trotter by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

 A native of Illinois, Alagna followed his mom, Donna Lee, into the sport. He had a pony at the age of 3, was reading up on pedigrees at 9, and solely responsible for his first horse at 10. Soon after graduating from high school, Alagna was assisting his mom with her stable.

 He later worked for trainer Brian Pinske and, after getting a degree from Florida’s Seminole College, as private trainer for Fox Valley Standardbreds in Illinois. He next spent six years as the top assistant to trainer Erv Miller before starting his own stable in 2009.

 Alagna trained Captaintreacherous to Pacer of the Year awards in 2012 and 2013. “The Captain” became the first pacer to win that honor in consecutive years since Jenna’s Beach Boy in 1995-96 and joined Niatross as the only horses to accomplish the feat at ages 2 and 3 since the award was first given in 1970.

LUC BLAIS

Born: 2/21/1962 – Birthplace: Quebec – Resides: Campbellville, Ontario

Luc Blais, 58, won the 2019 Hambletonian with Forbidden Trade, who upset favorite Greenshoe at odds of 15-1. Forbidden Trade went on to be named Canada’s Horse of the Year. Blais’ stable established a career high with $2.14 million in purses.

 In 2017, Blais started Jake in the Hambletonian. The horse finished sixth in his elimination and failed to advance to the final. Also in 2017, Blais’ filly Dream Together finished third in the Hambletonian Oaks final.

 Blais is a native of Papineauville in western Quebec, not far from Ottawa. He got hooked on racing at an early age, watching his father, a salesman, race his own horses on the Quebec fair circuit. After spending time in banking and construction, Blais pursued his passion and got involved full time in racing.

 He worked for several stables, including Canadian Hall of Famer Yves Filion’s Bayama Farms, before going on his own. He now trains for information-technology mogul Serge Godin’s Determination stable.

 Blais ranked eighth in purses among trainers in Canada in 2019, his third top-10 finish in four years.

 In 2018, Blais trained two O’Brien Award winners: 2-year-old male trotter Forbidden Trade and older female trotter Emoticon Hanover. Past stars include O’Brien Award winner Intimidate.

RON BURKE

Born: 10/16/1969 – Birthplace: Washington, PA – Resides: Canonsburg, PA

 Ron Burke, 50, finished second in the Hambletonian in 2016 with Southwind Frank, beaten by a nose by Marion Marauder, and second in 2015 when filly Mission Brief was defeated by Pinkman by three-quarters of a length. He watched What The Hill cross the finish line first in 2017, but the colt was disqualified for interfering with a horse in the stretch. It was the first disqualification of a winner in Hambletonian history.

 In 2019, Burke-trained Swandre The Giant finished sixth in his elimination and failed to advance to the final. Sonnet Grace raced in the Hambletonian Oaks final, finishing eighth.

 Burke took over the family’s training stable from his father Mickey, the 2006 Trainer of the Year, in late 2008 and pushed the operation’s success to record-setting heights. He is in the process of leading all trainers in wins for the 12th consecutive year. He has won no fewer than 762 races a year since 2009 and topped 1,000 victories three times, with 1,090 in 2013, 1,093 in 2014, and 1,013 in 2018. He is the only trainer in history to win 1,000 times in a season. In 2019, he finished with 981 victories.

 Already the sport’s all-time leader in training wins, Burke is nearing 11,000 wins. Only one other trainer, Virgil Morgan Jr., has surpassed 6,000.

 Burke also is in the process of leading all trainers in purses for the 12th straight season. His $239 million in lifetime earnings leads all trainers in history. He has topped $20 million each of the past seven years, including a record $28.4 million in 2014. He is the only trainer in history to reach $20 million in a season.

 He was named Trainer of the Year in 2011, 2013, and 2018.

 In addition to Burke’s success as a trainer, Burke Racing was named Owner of the Year (with partners Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi) in 2013 and 2018.

 Burke trained 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover. His other many stars have included 2014 Pacer of the Year Sweet Lou and 2011 Pacer of the Year Foiled Again, who retired following the 2018 season as the richest harness racing horse in history, with $7.63 million in lifetime earnings. Foiled Again, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, won 109 races and joined fellow Hall of Famer Rambling Willie as the only pacers with at least 100 wins and more than $2 million in purses in the past 40 years.

COREY CALLAHAN

Born: 4/21/1978 – Birthplace: Easton, MD – Resides: Middletown, DE

Corey Callahan, 42, has driven in three Hambletonian finals. He finished fourth with Bill’s Man in 2017, fifth with Resolve in 2014 and sixth with Lauderdale in 2013.

 In 2015, Callahan finished second in the Hambletonian Oaks final with Rules Of The Road. A year later, he won an Oaks elimination with Side Bet Hanover and was fifth in the final.

 Callahan has ranked among North America’s top 15 drivers in earnings each of the past eight years and won more than 300 races each of the past 13 years.

 In 2011, Callahan represented the U.S. in the World Driving Championship and finished second.

 He received the 2013 Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

 Callahan was a late comer to harness racing, at least as a participant. The son of horseman Nick Callahan did not begin focusing on a driving career until after graduating from the University of Kentucky and spending some time working in the business world. Callahan, who grew up in Easton, Md., was a standout hockey player in both college and high school. He also was a standout soccer player in high school.

JIM CAMPBELL

Born: 3/9/1962 – Birthplace: London, Ontario – Resides: Jackson, NJ

Jim Campbell, 58, won the 1995 Hambletonian with Tagliabue and the 2009 Hambletonian Oaks with Broadway Schooner. Both trotters were owned by the wife-and-husband team of Arlene and Jules Siegel. Jules was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2018. Arlene, who passed away in 2010, was elected to the Hall of Immortals in 2019.

Tagliabue was driven by Campbell’s brother, John, who retired in 2017 to become president and CEO of the Hambletonian Society. The Hall of Fame driver finished his career with a record $300 million in purse earnings.

 Broadway Schooner and Tagliabue were Dan Patch Award winners for Campbell. Other Campbell-trained Dan Patch winners were Broadway Donna, Broadway Hall, and Galleria. With Campbell guiding the stable, the Siegels were the sport’s Owner of the Year in 2002 and 2009.

In 2019, Campbell-trained Cantab Fashion finished fifth in his Hambletonian elimination and ninth in the final. In 2018, his Crystal Fashion finished fourth in the Hambletonian and later captured the Canadian Trotting Classic. Last season, Crystal Fashion won the Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters.

 Millies Possesion finished second in the 2019 Hambletonian Oaks for Campbell.

Last year, Campbell’s stable earned $3.13 million in purses despite making only 265 starts. Going back nearly 30 years, only three other trainers (Gene Riegle in 1992, Jimmy Takter in 2000 and Greg Peck in 2009) made fewer than 300 starts in a year and earned more than $3 million in purses. Campbell is the only one in the group to accomplish the feat without a horse in his stable reaching $1 million.

 Campbell followed his father, Jack, and grandfather, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Dunc Campbell, into harness racing. For his career, Campbell has won more than 1,220 races and $44 million in purses. He is on his way to his 11th consecutive year with at least $1 million and has ranked among the top 25 in seasonal earnings 12 times.

DEXTER DUNN

Born: 9/1/1989 – Birthplace: New Zealand – Resides: Allentown, NJ

New Zealand native Dexter Dunn, 30, enjoyed a memorable first full season of racing in North America in 2019. He received the Driver of the Year Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association after winning 460 races (eighth best in North America) and $12 million in purses (third). He won Breeders Crown finals with Amigo Volo and Manchego and drove the season’s top money-earner, Bettor’s Wish.

 Dunn made his Hambletonian debut in 2019. He drove Soul Strong to a third-place finish in his elimination and was fourth from post 10 in the final.

 In addition to the Hambletonian, Dunn drove Millies Possesion to a second-place finish behind When Dovescry in the Hambletonian Oaks.

 Dunn led New Zealand’s premiership in wins for 10 consecutive years from 2008 through 2017. During that span, he won at least 200 races on six occasions and twice finished with 199. He was the first New Zealand driver to win at least 200 races in a season.

 In the summer of 2018, Dunn was invited to drive in the U.S. by trainer Chris Ryder, a longtime family friend. When Dunn left New Zealand, his 2,225 wins ranked fifth in history there. He was the youngest driver to both 1,000 and 2,000 wins, and the youngest, at the age of 18, to win a Group 1 race in New Zealand.

 Dunn represented his country in the 2015 World Driving Championship and drove off with the trophy.

PER ENGBLOM

Born: 2/12/1980 – Birthplace: Viby, Sweden – Resides: East Windsor, NJ

Per Engblom, 40, made his Hambletonian debut with his own stable in 2019. Osterc finished second in his elimination and eighth in the final. Super Schissel went off stride in his elimination and failed to advance.

 He started Asiago in the Hambletonian Oaks final, finishing third.

 Prior to starting his own stable, Engblom spent the previous six years as the top assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter. Engblom was part of two Hambletonian victories during that time frame, with Trixton in 2014 and Pinkman in 2015.

 Engblom grew up in Mantorp, Sweden, which is also Takter’s birthplace. Both men began their careers at the local racetrack, which was started by a group that included Engblom’s grandfather, Bengt Engblom. Per Engblom’s father, Raoul, also is a trainer.

 This is Enblom’s second stint in the U.S. He was 19 when he came to the States for the first time. His sister, Pernilla, worked for Takter and the stable needed additional help. Engblom worked as a groom for two years before assisting with training for another three years. He then returned home to Sweden, where he was the private trainer for Stall Tilly, and later worked in Italy before starting his own public stable.

 At the beginning of 2012, Engblom and his wife, Helene, decided to move to the U.S. with their then 4-year-old son, Tom, who was ready to start school. Engblom worked for a year with trainer Tony Alagna before returning to the Takter Stable, where Helene joined him.

YANNICK GINGRAS

Born: 8/4/1979 – Birthplace: Greenfield Park, Quebec – Resides: Allentown, NJ

Yannick Gingras, who turned 41 on Aug. 4, holds the record for most driving wins in the Hambletonian Oaks, with five. He has twice finished second in the Hambletonian, with Mission Brief in 2015 and by a nose with Southwind Frank in 2016.

 Last year in the Hambletonian, Gingras finished second in eliminations with Don’t Let’em and Osterc. In the final he drove Don’t Let’em, who went off stride.

 Gingras’ five Oaks wins came in consecutive years with horse trained by Jimmy Takter. His winners were Lifetime Pursuit (2014), Wild Honey (2015), All The Time (2016), Ariana G (2017) and Manchego (2018).

 A third-generation horseman from Quebec, Gingras arrived in the U.S. in 2001 and established himself as a top driver at Yonkers Raceway. In 2003, he received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association and in 2004 he moved his base to the Meadowlands. He has led the Big M in wins four times in his career, most recently in 2015.

 Gingras has finished no worse than second in North American purses for eight years in a row and led the sport four consecutive seasons, 2014-17. His $184 million in career purses rank No. 7 in history.

 He was voted Driver of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 2014 and 2017.

 Gingras was the regular driver of 2017 Horse of the Year Award winner Hannelore Hanover.

 Among his many accomplishments, Gingras is known for his association with pacer Foiled Again, who retired in 2018 as the richest horse in harness racing history, with $7.63 million in lifetime earnings.

ANDREW HARRIS

Born: 12/7/1984 – Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario – Resides: East Windsor, NJ

Andrew Harris, 35, made his Hambletonian debut in 2016 with Waitlifter K, who finished third in his elimination and fourth in the final. He was beaten by one length in the final, which was won by Marion Marauder in a three-horse photo finish.

 In 2018, Harris started Lawmaker in the Hambletonian. Lawmaker went off stride in the stretch and failed to reach the final.

 Harris’ stable established career highs in 2019, with 157 wins and $3.13 million in purses. He has finished among the top 20 trainers in North America in earnings each of the past three seasons.

 This year, Harris entered the final week of July ranked No. 3 in purses with $1.34 million.

 Harris trained 2018 O’Brien Award winner Jimmy Freight whenever the Canadian-based pacer raced in the U.S.

 A native of Ontario, Harris helped his father, Jack, with a stable of horses before the age of 10. After graduating from high school, he worked for trainer Casie Coleman for a decade before starting his own stable. 

ANDREW McCARTHY

Born: 3/31/1986 – Birthplace: Bathurst, Australia – Resides: Swedesboro, NJ

Andrew McCarthy, 34, appeared in his first Hambletonian final in 2019, finishing seventh with Pilot Discretion. The horse was fifth in his elimination.

 McCarthy made his Hambletonian debut in 2017, finishing sixth in an elimination with Sortie and failing to advance to the final. He has driven in three Hambletonian Oaks finals, with a best finish of fourth coming with Hey Blondie in 2018.

 A native of Australia, McCarthy has raced regularly in North America since 2007. He has seen his purse earnings increase annually since the start of 2013, reaching a career-best $7.6 million in 2019.

 In 2019, McCarthy became the eighth driver in history to win at least four Breeders Crown finals in a year. He became the first to accomplish the feat without driving a favorite.

 McCarthy is a third-generation horseman. His brothers Todd and Luke, who raced in the U.S. in 2009, are successful drivers in Australia and his father John is a highly regarded trainer. The McCarthy family was selected by the Bathurst Harness Racing Club as its 2016 Gold Crown honoree.

MARCUS MELANDER

Born: 7/1/1992 – Birthplace: Sweden – Resides: New Egypt, NJ

Marcus Melander, 28, was voted the 2019 Trainer of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Age 27 at the time, he is the youngest trainer to ever receive the honor. The recognition came one year after he was named the Rising Star Award winner by the same organization.

 Melander’s top horse last year was Greenshoe, who was named Trotter of the Year. Greenshoe won his Hambletonian elimination and finished second in the final. The colt was one of three Hambletonian finalists for Melander. Green Manalishi S won his elim and was fifth in the final; Gimpanzee was fourth in his elim and third in the final.

 Greenshoe and Gimpanzee both earned more than $1 million in 2019. Melander became only the second trainer to have two million-dollar-earning trotters in the same division in the same season, joining Jimmy Takter.

 Earlier this season, Gimpanzee won the Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-olds at the Meadowlands.

 The Melander-trained Miss Trixton finished fourth in the 2019 Hambletonian Oaks.

 Melander made his Hambletonian debut in 2017 and saw Enterprise win his elimination and then finish fourth-placed-third in the final. Melander’s Long Tom also raced in an elimination, leading through three-quarters of a mile before going off stride and failing to reach the final.

 In 2018, Evaluate finished fourth in his Hambletonian elimination and fifth in the final.

 Melander came to the U.S. from Sweden and worked for four-time Hambletonian-winning trainer Jimmy Takter before starting his own stable in late 2014. He is based in New Egypt, N.J., at a farm that was home previously to each the legendary Stanley Dancer, a five-time Hambletonian winner, and Continental Farms stables. Melander has won more than 150 races and $6 million in purses in his career.

 Growing up in Sweden, Melander stayed up all hours of the night following the results of U.S. harness racing. He was making a name for himself as a driver in Europe but was always fascinated by racing in the States. At age 19, Melander won Sweden’s equivalent to the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Rising Star Award. He had just more than 100 wins when the Melanders moved to America.

 Melander’s uncle, Stefan Melander, won the 2001 Hambletonian as trainer and driver with Scarlet Knight.

MATTIAS MELANDER

Born: 8/4/1996 – Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden – Resides: New Egypt, NJ

Mattias Melander, who turned 24 on Aug. 4, is making his Hambletonian debut. He is the brother of trainer Marcus Melander.

 Melander, a native of Sweden, came to the U.S. four years ago and began working at the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter, where his brother Marcus had also worked. Mattias planned to return home after a year, but Takter talked him into staying.

 In 2019, Melander won 20 of 97 races. He finished second in the Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male trotters with Rome Pays Off.

ANDY MILLER

Born: 9/7/1968 – Birthplace: Mattoon, IL – Resides: Millstone Township, NJ

Andy Miller, 51, drove 2008 Hambletonian Oaks winner Creamy Mimi for trainer Trond Smedshammer.

 Miller drove Summit In Sight in the 2019 Hambletonian eliminations, finishing eighth and failing to advance to the final.

 Prior to last year, Miller drove horses to three consecutive top-three finishes in finals: Met’s Hall was second in 2018, Devious Man was third-placed-second in 2017 and Sutton was third, beaten only a neck, in 2016. All three horses were trained by Miller’s wife, Julie.

 Miller grew up in an Amish community in Illinois and started driving at the age of 16 on the Illinois fair circuit. He was a top driver in Chicago before moving to the East Coast in 2006.

 Andy and Julie were married in 1996 and started their harness racing stable the same year.

 Miller has won more than 9,500 races and ranks 20th in victories among all drivers in history. He has earned $128 million in purses, a total that is 14th best in history.

 He has twice represented the U.S. in the World Driving Championship, finishing fourth in 2005 and sixth in 2007.

DAVID MILLER

Born: 12/10/1964 – Birthplace: Columbus, OH – Resides: Cream Ridge, NJ

David Miller, 55, won the 2012 Hambletonian Oaks with Personal Style, trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman.

 In 2019, Miller finished third in the Hambletonian final with Gimpanzee. In the 2017 final, he drove What The Hill, who crossed the finish line first but was disqualified for interference in the stretch. Miller had third-place finishes in 2015 with Uncle Lasse and 2013 with Corky.

 A 2014 inductee into the Hall of Fame, Miller ranks No. 2 all time in purses, with $243 million, and has finished among the top five in earnings 20 of the past 21 years. John Campbell, now president and CEO of the Hambletonian Society, holds the sport’s record for purses with $300 million.

 Miller is No. 5 all-time in wins, with nearly 13,000.

 He was the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Driver of the Year in 2016, 2015 and 2003.

 In 2003, Miller led the sport in purses and drove No Pan Intended to the Pacing Triple Crown and Horse of the Year honors. In 2016, Miller was the driver of Horse of the Year Award winner Always B Miki, who paced the fastest mile in harness racing history when he won in 1:46 at Lexington’s Red Mile.

 In 2015, Miller set a record with five Breeders Crown wins in a single year.

 Miller, who received the 1993 Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association, was already a standout in his native Ohio when he headed to the East Coast in the late 1990s. He captured multiple driving titles at the Meadowlands Racetrack in the early 2000s and has been a force on the Grand Circuit ever since he made the move.

JULIE MILLER

Born: 11/20/1972 – Birthplace: Iowa City, IA – Resides: Millstone Township, NJ

Julie Miller, 47, started Summit In Sight in the 2019 Hambletonian. He went off stride in his elimination and failed to advance to the final.

 Prior to last year, Miller posted three consecutive top-three finishes in the Hambletonian. In 2018, Met’s Hall finished second to Atlanta. In 2017, Devious Man was third-placed-second in the final and a year earlier Sutton was a fast-closing third, beaten only a neck, in the race won by Marion Marauder.

 In 2014, Miller-trained Designed To Be finished second in the Hambletonian Oaks while stablemate Take The Money finished third.

 Miller has finished in the top 25 among North American trainers in earnings for the past 11 years. She has finished in the top 10 in five of the past six seasons.

 In 2017, Miller was inducted into the Iowa Harness Racing Hall of Fame, where she joined her father, Owen Julius. Miller grew up in Iowa, where her family raced at the county fairs. Miller graduated from Southern Illinois University with a science degree but turned her attention to racing.

 After beginning her career in Illinois, Miller moved with her husband, driver Andy Miller, to the East Coast and became a nationally recognized trainer at the Meadowlands and on the Grand Circuit. She has won more than 1,860 races and her horses have earned nearly $41 million in purses.

 Miller’s most memorable Hambletonian Day to date came in 2009 when Dan Patch Award-winning trotter Lucky Jim, driven by Andy, won the Nat Ray (now Cashman Memorial) in a then-world-record-equaling 1:50.1 at the Meadowlands.

RICHARD “NIFTY” NORMAN

Born: 10/21/1960 – Birthplace: New Zealand – Resides: Allentown, NJ

Nifty Norman, 59, is a two-time winner of the Hambletonian Oaks, training 2012 winner Personal Style and 2013 champion Bee A Magician.

 Bee A Magician was Horse of the Year in 2013. She was 17-for-17 and earned $1.54 million. Her earnings were a record for a 3-year-old filly trotter.

In 2019, Norman’s Reign Of Honor finished sixth in his Hambletonian elimination, missing a spot in the final by one place. Norman also sent out Evident Beauty in the Hambletonian Oaks final. The filly went off stride in the stretch.

 A native of New Zealand, where he worked with horses after leaving school, Norman came to California in 1985 to visit his friend, trainer Ross Croghan, and ended up staying to help with Croghan’s stable. He later worked with Brett Pelling before starting his own stable.

 Norman’s stable set a career high with $4.26 million in purses in 2019. His earnings ranked 10th among trainers in North America. His stable is on its way to its 15th consecutive year with at least $1 million in purses.

 Amigo Volo was a 2019 Breeders Crown champion (Norman’s fourth trophy lifetime) and led all 2-year-old trotters in purses with $610,546.

BRIAN SEARS

Born: 1/21/1968 – Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Resides: Secaucus, NJ

Brian Sears, 52, is a three-time winning driver in the Hambletonian and two-time winner of the Hambletonian Oaks.

 In 2019, Sears finished second in the Hambletonian final with Greenshoe, who was an elimination winner. Forbidden Trade won the final by a neck.

 Sears won both the Hambletonian and Oaks in 2009, earning his Hambletonian victory with Muscle Hill and Oaks triumph with Broadway Schooner. He became the first driver to win the Hambletonian and Oaks in the same year. In 2013, he repeated the double, winning the Hambletonian with Royalty For Life and the Oaks with Bee A Magician.

In 2015, Sears won the Hambletonian with Pinkman. Yannick Gingras drove Pinkman to victory in his elimination, but opted to drive filly Mission Brief, also an elimination winner, in the final.

 Sears is among five drivers to win the Hambletonian three times. John Campbell holds the record, with six, and there are four drivers tied for second place, with four. They are Ben White, Billy Haughton, Stanley Dancer, and Mike Lachance.

 For his career, Sears has won more than 10,000 races and $199 million in purses. He ranks 18th in North American history for wins among drivers and fifth in purses. He led the sport in earnings in 2005, with a then-record $15 million, and has finished among the top 10 in purses 14 of the past 16 years.

 Sears has driven four Horse of the Year award winners: Rocknroll Hanover in 2005, Muscle Hill in 2009, Bee A Magician in 2013, and McWicked in 2018.

 He received the 2009 Driver of the Year Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association and was the 1991 Rising Star Award recipient from the same organization.

 A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sears is a third-generation horseman, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Gene and dad Jay. Both are in the Florida Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

 Sears was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y., in 2017.

AKE SVANSTEDT

Born: 11/18/1958 – Birthplace: Sweden – Resides: Columbus, NJ

Ake Svanstedt, 61, won the 2017 Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit, who was second-placed-first in the final after What The Hill was disqualified for interference in the stretch. It was the first disqualification of a winner in Hambletonian history. Svanstedt trained and drove Perfect Spirit.

 Svanstedt had two Hambletonian finalists in 2019. Soul Strong, driven by Dexter Dunn, finished third in his elimination and fourth in the final. Marseille, driven by Svanstedt, was fourth in his elim and sixth in the final.

 Previous stars for Svanstedt included Dan Patch Award winner Sebastian K, who became the then-fastest trotter in history when he went a mile in 1:49 in 2014. Svanstedt has trained a record four trotters to win races in 1:49.4 or faster, with two-time Dan Patch Award winner Six Pack, Darling Mearas S and Plunge Blue Chip joining Sebastian K.

 Svanstedt moved to the U.S. from Sweden in 2014. His training stable set a career high with $4.96 million in purses in 2019. He also established a career best in earnings as a driver, with $3.32 million.

 His earnings as a trainer ranked fifth in North America.

 Svanstedt was Sweden’s Trainer of the Year five times and Driver of the Year on three occasions. He won 6,306 races as a driver in Sweden and 5,384 as a trainer. In 2017, he was inducted in Sweden’s Hall of Fame.

 During his career overseas, Svanstedt won the Elitlopp twice, with Torvald Palema in 2009 and Gidde Palema in 2004, the Copenhagen Cup three times and both the Oslo Grand Prix and Olympic Trot four times.

 Svanstedt grew up with horses in Sweden. His father, who was in the timber business, used horses for work and raced cold-blooded trotters. Svanstedt began his professional career at the age of 24 and within several years was the champion at his home track in Bergsaker.

JIMMY TAKTER

Born: 9/29/1960 – Birthplace: Sweden – Resides: East Windsor, NJ

Jimmy Takter, 59, retired from training following the 2018 season but still drives occasionally. Takter – a Hall of Famer in the U.S., Canada and Sweden – drove 2014 Hambletonian winner Trixton, one of four Hambletonian champions he trained. He also conditioned a record eight winners of the Hambletonian Oaks.

Takter is tied with Chuck Sylvester for the second-most training wins in the Hambletonian. Billy Haughton, Stanley Dancer and Ben White share the record of five. Takter won the Hambletonian in 1997 with Malabar Man, 2010 with Muscle Massive, 2014 with Trixton, and 2015 with Pinkman.

Hambletonian Oaks winners for Takter were Gleam in 1994, Southwind Allaire in 2003, Passionate Glide in 2006, Lifetime Pursuit in 2014, Wild Honey in 2015, All The Time in 2016, Ariana G in 2017, and Manchego in 2018.

Takter is the only trainer to ever twice sweep the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks on the same day. Jan Johnson accomplished the feat once, in 1988.

 A native of Sweden, Takter could have enjoyed a comfortable career there, where his father, Bo, was already established as one of the sport’s top trainers. But after getting a taste of racing in the U.S. as a teenager during a 10-month stint with the powerful Continental Farms Stable, Takter decided at the age of 22 to make his home in the States for good. He became a U.S. citizen in 2000.

 Takter was named Trainer of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association a record six times: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2000 and 1996.

 His horses earned $130 million in purses, the second-highest total for a trainer in history, trailing only Ron Burke. Takter won 2,158 races as a trainer and more than 800 as a driver.

 In 2012, Takter was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y.

NANCY TAKTER

Born: 6/23/1981 – Birthplace: Malmo, Sweden – Resides: Allentown, NJ

Nancy Takter, 39, started Don’t Let’em in the 2019 Hambletonian. The colt finished second in his elimination and went off stride in the final.

 She made her Hambletonian final debut in 2014 with Resolve, finishing fifth. She has started two other horses in elims, one each in 2015 and 2016, but did not reach the final.

 On July 18, Takter-trained Tall Dark Stranger won the Meadowlands Pace. Tall Dark Stranger was the Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male pacer in 2019. No trainer has ever won the Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian in the same year.

 Takter was 1 when she moved with her family from Sweden to the U.S. Her father is Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter, a four-time winner of the Hambletonian and record eight-time winner of the Hambletonian Oaks. Nancy was the caretaker of Muscle Massive, who won the 2010 Hambletonian for her father.

 In 2013, Takter started her own training stable. In 2014, she guided 2-year-old female pacer JK She’salady to Horse of the Year honors. JK She’salady is the only 2-year-old filly pacer to be named Horse of the Year.

 Takter received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 2014.

 Last year, Takter set career highs with 72 wins and $4.59 million in purses. Her earnings ranked seventh among all trainers in North America.

TIM TETRICK

Born: 11/22/1981 – Birthplace: Flora, IL – Resides: Woolwich Township, NJ

Tim Tetrick, 38, won the 2012 Hambletonian with Market Share, trained by Linda Toscano. He has twice finished second in the final, with Smilin Eli in 2013 and Crazed in 2008. He was fifth in 2019 with Green Manalishi S, who was an elimination winner.

 Tetrick has two wins in the Hambletonian Oaks, with Bar Slide in 2010 and Danae in 2007. He was third in 2019 with Asiago.

 In 2019, Tetrick was elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

 Tetrick led the sport in purses in 2019 with $15.6 million. He also led in 2018 and for seven consecutive years, 2007 through 2013. He ranks No. 3 all time in earnings, with $221 million. Tetrick has topped $10 million each of the past 13 years, which is a record.

 Tetrick has ranked among the top 10 drivers in wins for 15 consecutive years. He has won more than 11,600 career races and ranks No. 8 all-time in the category. He was 37 when he reached 11,000 last June, shattering the record for youngest driver to reach 11,000, which was set previously by a 42-year-old Walter Case Jr. in 2003.

 In 2007, Tetrick won a single-season record 1,189 races and was named the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Rising Star Award winner as well as Driver of the Year. That season he became the first driver to lead the sport in both wins and purses (a then-record $18.3 million) in the same year since 1991.

 He also was Driver of the Year in 2008, 2012 and 2013.

 Tetrick was the regular driver of 2012 Horse of the Year Award winner Chapter Seven and 2019 Horse of the Year Award winner Shartin N.

 He represented the U.S. in the 2015 World Driving Championship and finished third.

 Tetrick grew up in Illinois and followed his father, Tom D. Tetrick, into the sport. Brothers Tom T. and Trace also are involved in harness racing. Trace is the all-time leader in driving wins at Hoosier Park.

LUCAS WALLIN

Born: 12/28/1992 – Birthplace: Sweden – Resides: New Egypt, NJ

 Lucas Wallin, 27, had two finalists in the 2019 Hambletonian Oaks. Princess Deo finished fifth and Queen Of Trix finished sixth. Each filly finished third in her elimination.

 In 2018, Wallin started Winbak Noelle in the Oaks elims, but failed to reach the final.

 Wallin grew up in Sweden, where he was driving ponies at the age of 8. Several years later, he began helping at his uncle Joakim Wallin’s stable.

 In mid-2014, he was alerted to an opportunity to work for Ake Svanstedt’s stable in the U.S. by childhood friend Oskar Florhed. Wallin spent two years with Svanstedt before deciding to go on his own.

 Since then, Wallin’s stable has won 84 races and $1.39 million.

 Wallin got his biggest win to date on July 3 when Ab’sattitudexpress won the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship for 3-year-old filly trotters at the Meadowlands.

SCOTT ZERON

Born: 5/23/1989 – Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec – Resides: Chester, NY

 Scott Zeron, 31, has already hoisted the Hambletonian trophy twice in his career.

 In 2018, Zeron-driven Atlanta became the first female trotter since Continentalvictory in 1996 to win the Hambletonian. At the end of the season, she was named Trotter of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

 Two years earlier, Zeron won with Marion Marauder, who went on to capture the Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity to sweep the Trotting Triple Crown. Marion Marauder was the ninth Trotting Triple Crown winner and was named Trotter of the Year.

 With Marion Marauder, the then 27-year-old Zeron was the second-youngest driver to win the Hambletonian and youngest driver to win a harness racing Triple Crown, either trotting or pacing.

 In 2019, Zeron finished ninth in the Hambletonian final with Cantab Fashion.

 Zeron was born in Montreal and made a name for himself in Ontario, twice leading all Canadian drivers in wins (2010 and 2011) before relocating to the U.S. near the end of 2013.

 He won the 2012 Little Brown Jug with Michael’s Power and at age 23 was the youngest driver to ever win the race. He received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association.