As the stakes stars from 2021 head into the Grand Circuit's most lucrative events for this season, fans of harness racing feel one horse has the best chance to meet or exceed last year's totals in 2022.
That horse is Bulldog Hanover, and if his debut qualifier is any indication, the four-year-old will be a dominant force during stakes season.
In the most recent SC web poll, we gave fans and followers the list of the 20 highest earning returning horses from 2021 and asked who they felt had the best chance to match or exceed their 2021 earnings in 2022. Taking top spot in that poll was two-time O'Brien Award finalist Bulldog Hanover.
Owned by trainer Jack Darling along with Brad Grant of Milton, Ont., Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play - BJs Squall) enjoyed a stellar freshman season and returned as a strong sophomore, winning 10 of 15 races and more than $682,000. His first effort as a four-year-old was ultra-impressive, pacing in 1:52 over Flamboro Downs' half-mile oval on Saturday (April 30).
Darling told Trot Insider that Bulldog Hanover would likely qualify again this Saturday (May 7) at Flamboro in advance of his pari-mutuel debut in the 2022 Charles Juravinski Memorial eliminations on Sunday, May 15.
The full results of the most recent SC web poll are as follows:
- Bulldog Hanover ($682,211) - 16% (301 votes)
- Desperate Man ($767,594) - 15% (278 votes)
- Niki Hill ($960,784) - 11% (208 votes)
- Venerable ($1,189,276) - 7% (137 votes)
- Forbidden Trade ($631,302) - 7% (136 votes)
- Monte Miki ($751,796) - 5% (103 votes)
- Jujubee ($948,791) - 5% (97 votes)
- Allywag Hanover ($1,011,500) - 5% (96 votes)
- Duly Resolved ($631,659) - 5% (89 votes)
- Charlie May ($879,400) - 5% (88 votes)
- King Of The North ($657,140) - 4% (71 votes)
- Test Of Faith ($1,069,739) - 3% (59 votes)
- Lyons Sentinel ($827,708) - 3% (57 votes)
- This Is The Plan ($820,429) - 2% (36 votes)
- Bella Bellini ($1,133,235) - 2% (34 votes)
- Catch The Fire ($647,873) - 2% (32 votes)
- Hot Mess Express ($655,215) - 1% (22 votes)
- Joviality S ($895,341) - 1% (15 votes)
- Ahundreddollarbill ($697,535) - 0% (9 votes)
- Ocean Rock ($706,410) - 0% (7 votes)
***Note: most of the votes were cast prior to Monte Miki's retirement announcement
Check out and vote on our latest web poll question here: Who do you think will win the 2022 Ontario Regional Driving Championship?