The National Equestrian Center on Vesey Street came alive as the Driving Horse and Pony Association hosted the opening day of the prestigious Champion of Champions harness pony racing. A high-octane program saw the island’s elite ponies and drivers battle for supremacy in a series of tightly contested dashes.
The first set of Champion of Champions heats delivered an immediate statement of intent from Huntinforgold, driven by Tahzii Flood, who claimed victory in Dash 1a with a time of 1:03/3. They were closely followed by Somegoldsomewhere and Teshi Zuill, who finished just behind in 1:04/0, with Gold Rush and Darico Clarke rounding out the top three in 1:04/3.
The momentum shifted dramatically in Dash 2a as Darico Clarke steered Gold Rush to a clinical victory, clocking the fastest time of the division at 1:03/0. Teshi Zuill and Somegoldsomewhere remained remarkably consistent to take second place once again in 1:03/1, while the earlier winner Huntinforgold finished third in 1:04/1.
In the second division of heats, Candyce Martins enjoyed a dominant afternoon in the sulky of Smart Machine. The pair secured a clean sweep, first taking Dash 1b in 1:04/4 before significantly improving their mark to win Dash 2b in a blistering 1:03/0. Xanaje DeGraff and Double Time provided stiff competition throughout the day, finishing as runners-up in both heats with times of 1:05/0 and 1:04/2 respectively.
Click Here to see the Full 2026 Champion of Champions Day One Results
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