As the clock struck midnight in the early hours on Monday, January 1, the curtain closed on 2023 – a year filled with the highest highs and the lowest lows, especially in harness racing. The year 2023 saw Tactical Approach thrive in the Hambletonian from post 10; It’s My Show steal the show at the Little Brown Jug, giving trainer Linda Toscano a sweep of the Jug and Jugette; Scott Zeron sweep many major stakes races; Team Svanstedt hold the most Crowns and more. The winner's circle was filled each time with cheering connections, smiling faces, tears of joy, and heartfelt emotion. Every month held a new milestone, a new person and/or horse in the spotlight, and a new major headline. Unfortunately, though, as the Grand Circuit season wound down and tracks began to shutter for the winter months, the newest headline that broke was on the Tioga Downs fire, set by an arsonist on November 9. The tragedy struck the hearts of thousands in and out of the harness racing business. Thirty horses lost their lives in the immense devastation that tore down the worlds of five trainers and their connections. Though the tragedy was the focus of the month of November, the story that broke after as a parallel to the tragedy shined as a gleam of light in the darkness, a faint sense of hope. After one individual committed an act of horror to show the worst in humankind, the harness racing community rallied together to demonstrate what can only be described as the absolute best in humankind. Hundreds of thousands of dollars was donated, equipment was compiled at every major track and then delivered straight to Tioga Downs. Even horses were donated to help the trainers build back their stables. Stories, artwork, memorabilia, events, and more were created for the sole purpose of just doing anything to help. Nothing could replace the horses and no one knew what to do to help, but the horsemen and supporters came together in any way that they could. The events of that early morning at the start of November in 2023 will never be forgotten as the acts of humanity that followed will never fall from memory. A defining moment in time, the event showed the true meaning of horsemanship. As the sun set in 2023 and rose in 2024, a new year does not only signify a new page in the calendar but a promise for a new start. There are no leaderboards, no top trainers or drivers, and no top pacers or trotters. With the tallies reset back to zero, there is a level playing field, and the year-end awards are up for grabs by anyone. The only guarantees are that there will be at least one horse to break through the headlines, major upsets, powerful stories, and key turning points to occur throughout the year. Before post time, horsemen have the opportunity to join the masses and create their own list of goals, their own set of New Year's resolutions. A set guide to tackle the new year in the world of harness racing – hopes, goals, dreams, and anything worth working towards in 2024. DRIVEN TO GRAB THESE RESOLUTIONS Harness drivers are a key component to the success of the business. During overnight races, there are catch drivers and committed drivers. But, at the Grand Circuit level, the process of driver selections is very distinct and refined. The team forms at the start of the year with no certainty of the future, especially with the young freshmen making their track debuts. There are no guarantees, but there are hopes for the year to come. Leading driver at Woodbine Mohawk Park for the third year in a row and leading driver in Canada, James MacDonald looks to add his third consecutive O'Brien Award after his 2023 performance. Though he does not set any resolutions for the year, he does focus on goals he hopes to achieve. "I just try and set the same ones every year," MacDonald said. "Show up to the track every day in a good mood and try and be as consistent as possible. Also win big races!" At Saratoga, driver Brett Beckwith writes down his resolutions and goals at the start of each year. And in his case, he not only achieves those goals, but he also exceeds them. In 2023, the 20-year-old set a goal to reach $3 million in earnings over the year. Not only did he reach $3 million, but he also went beyond to achieve $4 million and join Doug McNair as the youngest to reach such a milestone at only 20. "My goals for 2024 include to give it a run for leading driver at Saratoga and to stay healthy," Beckwith said. Tim Tetrick has frequented the top of the charts for many years but stormed through 2023 with the force of Confederate. Together the pair won 13 of their 15 starts, earned over $1.63 million, and became the sole unanimous vote in the USHWA Dan Patch Awards. "I try really hard not to make resolutions, but my goals for 2024 are to stay healthy, keep my horses healthy, and find another Confederate," Tetrick said. Driver Bob McClure joined the top five in Canada with over $5 million banked and 214 trips to the winner's circle. His own goals and resolutions resonate with majority of the drivers: "Win more races and stay healthy!" McClure said. TRAINING TO WIN IN 2024 Training a stable of horses would lead anyone to compile a list of goals and dreams. At the forefront, the goals include to keep the horses healthy and happy. Then come the goals of winning races, winning big races, and topping the charts to grab a title. At Monticello Raceway, Laura Aldrich earned her first training title in 2023. "To win the title feels pretty good," Aldrich said. "A lot of hard work and long days, but we are lucky to have some honest horses in the barn and Bruce [Aldrich] driving gives us an edge. My goals, well I don't know, haha. I would be blessed to have another year as good as this last year, and I will work at it just as hard. I was lucky to have been taught by one of the best in the business, Eddie Hart, and Bob Krikorian, who has taught me so much about shoeing and worked with me for years. That has also been a big advantage for me." The year 2023 also saw trainer Brett Derue earn his first training title at Saratoga Raceway. "Winning the title was amazing. I did not think I could get it done because of the lack of starts, but at about the halfway point in the season I realized it was possible, and that's when I really wanted to get it," Derue said. "My goal for 2024 is not exactly to be the leading trainer again. Although it would be amazing to successfully defend the title, we want to focus on maybe fewer horses, but more quality. Honestly, if I could duplicate last year, I would in a heartbeat." New on the Saratoga roster, as a Pompano Park transplant, trainer John Hallett says that he doesn't make resolutions, but he does have a message to the horsemen across the world going into 2024. "Here's to 2024, may your horses by happy, healthy, and fast," Hallett said. GRAND RESOLUTIONS ON THE GRAND CIRCUIT The Grand Circuit is the main event in racing. Starting locally with stakes races and continuing through the Hambletonian, Little Brown Jug, Breeders Crown, and then the FanDuel finals, the Grand Circuit holds many hopes and dreams of not only stepping onto the track in these races, but also reaching the winner's circle. Nancy Takter was a prominent name in the 2023 season, which included winning the Hambletonian. Her horses - Tactical Approach, Caviart Belle, and Karl, among other successful names - have proven strong competitors on the track in numerous Grand Circuit events. "Obviously my goal is to try to win back-to-back Hambletonians," Takter said. "The obvious choice to do that with is Karl, but I have some other really nice 3-year-old colts, too, so I think we have multiple chances to do so. Fingers crossed." Team Svanstedt had a stellar year at the races and Ake Svanstedt took home the USHWA Dan Patch Trainer of the Year title. "We feel very honored and are thankful," said Sarah Svanstedt. "There are a lot of feelings looking back on the journey. Our family made the move here to the United States and worked up to this remarkable award in our fantastic racing industry. Dreams do come true. "We have a fantastic team behind us that is key for our success. We look forward to a fun and exciting 2024 racing season. We hope our horses stay healthy and that we can win some of the big races. We can't wait for April to come." Moira Fanning is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Publicity at the Hambletonian Society, where the task of developing two of the greatest days in harness racing converge through the Hambletonian and the Breeders Crown. "My personal goal would be to find loving homes for some of the incredible stash of harness racing memorabilia in my office and in the Hambletonian Society office," Fanning said. "What I would like to see is the industry continuing to make progress on equine aftercare and unified goals for all." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter THE BACKBONE OF IT ALL Many components coming together makes a successful horse and successful stable possible. Two of those components happen before the racing career with the breeders and throughout the racing life with the caretakers. Heather Reese-Marshall works with Crawford Farms, and the farm won the honor of USTA District 8 Breeder of the Year in 2023. "We had our best year ever selling yearlings. I think they all landed in very good spots; I'm looking forward to seeing them hit the track later this year," Reese-Marshall said. "There's a lot of 3-year-olds I'm excited to see come back, and aged! We welcomed a good handful of new mares into the broodmare band to foal this year. Our in-foal rates were great; we have a very good group of yearlings to sell this year. I have no complaints and looking forward to 2024! "I have a couple goals! Karl to win the Hambo and hopefully go on to stand stud, whether next year or just in the future, repeat as Breeder of the Year for New York and have a 95% in-foal rate at the end of breeding season," she added. In 2023, Margaret Gillon was named the Caretaker of the Year. She has been a staple in the Burke Racing Stable with several top horses in her care, including It's Academic and Atlanta, to name a couple. "My goals include that we'll win the Breeders Crown or even the Hambo! Working harder to achieve that," Gillon said. "Being named Caretaker of the Year is an honor and I couldn't have asked for a better gift this year!" ANNOUNCING THEIR RESOLUTIONS Announcers give the frame-by-frame insight into each and every race from the highest point at the tracks, so it is only fitting that the announcers are able to shout from the rooftops their own goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. John Horne was the former track announcer at Tioga Downs before becoming the full time race-caller at Vernon Downs in 2019. His hopes for 2024 include the return to former successful activities at the track to gain more fans and boost morale on-site. "One thing we used to have was the Vernon drivers versus Tioga drivers' challenge," Horne said. "Even earlier than that was Saratoga drivers versus Vernon drivers. It was very popular and fun for the drivers and fans." On the other side of upstate New York, Mike Sardella has been the full-time track announcer at Saratoga since 2006. His own focus is also on the fans and the special races that are in store. "I think the summer will be very exciting here in Saratoga. The buzz in the city will be great, and the hope is that it spills over to us at the track. I'm hoping the Gerrity attracts some of the top talent in North America," Sardella said. "There have been a few years where we have hosted the national Horse of the Year in that race, and that would be super exciting if that were to happen again." Roger Huston, a staple in harness racing with a long résumé featuring tracks across the world that he has announced at, said he has never had goals. "I take life as it comes and hope I make the right decisions," Huston said. "I just hope I make the right decisions. I just hope that I can continue to do what I love to do. I have been blessed with 81 years of life and 65 years in the business. I just hope that I am able to do what I love. If something new comes to me in 2024, it will just be added whip cream on my strawberry shortcake. Be There!" RESOLUTIONS VIA THE MEDIA The media is a key component to the success of harness racing in its entirety. Without the photos, videos, and stories accompanying the events of the year, there is no record of what occurred. A compilation of the aforementioned skills in conjunction with the people who share them via social media, mass media, and in person lead to the success of any business. Wendy Ross stands at the top of the distribution-in-media list as she is a Content Manager and On-Air Analyst with the USTA. "My goals for 2024 are to continue to promote the sport we all love and increase our fan and audience base," Ross said. "We have plans to give the fans more viewership and interview experiences via USTrotting. We are always trying and coming up with new things and ideas. Doing our best for the fans and our USTrotting members is what we strive for and of course watching and talking about these beautiful horses we are fortunate to cover." On the writing side, Derick Giwner serves as the Editor of DRF Harness for Daily Racing Form. "My hope for harness racing in 2024 and beyond is for more cooperation between all of the various entities. It seems as a sport we only come together during tragedy. Imagine what could be accomplished if all tracks, horseperson organizations, racing commissions, etc. worked together for the greater good. It's a pipe dream, perhaps, but it is my pipe dream," Giwner said. Jessica Otten has become a face of harness racing, hosting numerous broadcasts for local and national races including the Hambletonian, Breeders Crown, and FanDuel finals. "My resolutions include to continue to promote the sport on a national level to new audiences and continue to educate people about our industry," Otten said. "My goals include really focusing on telling individual stories in our marquee events." Peter Lawrence, active on social media with sharing key features and news, said that he wishes for harness racing to still have access to a wide audience via newspaper, magazine, and TV coverage. And for me, personally, my resolutions and goals for harness racing in 2024 and for myself include pushing harness racing towards the spotlight with all of the positive stories that are available. Everyone who has been racing horses long enough or following the races as a true fan can give at least one positive story – the horse that made it back to the races, the horse that changed a life, the horse that inspired someone, or the horse that gives their all every day. I want to share these stories about the horses and about the people that make it all possible. We cannot do it without these horses and without the people who truly care. Reading all of these resolutions and goals, hopes and dreams, take a second to imagine your own year to come and what you would like to see and do. Write a list or make a mental note, develop a plan and try to make it happen so when the curtain begins to close on 2024, you can reflect on a great year full of only the highest highs. Here's to whatever is in store for 2024.