Now that the Breeders Crown races are over, one major race remains - although it won't be contested on the racetrack. It's the race for Horse of the Year. The top two horses in the year-end Top 10 balloting, Eternal Camnation and No Pan Intended, both hit major milestones in the last week.

No Pan Intended won for the 17th time in 21 starts this year when he held off Escape The Wind by a head in a personal-best 1:50³ to claim the $542,500 Breeders Crown championship for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings at The Meadowlands on November 29. Trained by Ivan Sugg, driven by David Miller, and owned by Bob Glazer's Peter Pan Stable of Pepper Pike, Ohio, No Pan Intended has earned $1⁴6 million this season. He became the first horse to win both the Triple Crown (Cane Pace, Little Brown Jug and Messenger) and Breeders Crown in the same year.

Eternal Camnation raced for the final time this year on November 24, winning the $250,000 Classic Distaff final by a nose over Always Cam in 2:22⁴ (it was contested at 1¼ miles) at Dover Downs in Delaware. Eternal Camnation swept the four-race series and earned a $250,000 bonus. She has won 11 of 20 starts this season and closed the campaign by winning nine in a row. The first victory in her streak was the Breeders Crown's open mares pace, August 30 at Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario. Trained by Jeff Miller, driven primarily by Eric Ledford, and owned by the Eternal Camnation Stable, she has banked a career-high $908,346 this year.

An older pacing mare has never won Horse of the Year, which was first awarded by the U.S. Harness Writers Association in 1947. A three-year-old pacing colt or gelding has won Horse of the Year 13 times. However, only two of the previous nine Pacing Triple Crown winners received the award, Niatross in 1980 and Bret Hanover in 1965. Adios Butler, who won the Triple Crown in 1959, was Horse of the Year in 1960 and 1961.

"Here we are in November, he's been going all year," Glazer said about No Pan Intended after his Breeders Crown triumph before 15,101 fans at The Meadowlands. "Ivan's kept him going all year. I'm just overwhelmed." Sugg said, "It's been wonderful. This is just a super horse. I can't explain what makes him go, but he keeps going. His best quality is he's so easy on himself … he just races a horse when they come to him, and keeps on going."

There have been 16 three-year-old pacers that went faster winning miles than No Pan Intended this year. Ben Wallace, who trains three-year-old pacer Pronger, summed up No Pan Intended this way: "He doesn't scare you, he just beats you."

Being first to the finish line is the object, and No Pan Intended did it with regularity. He won 10 straight races from July 19 to October 18, when he capped his Triple Crown with a victory in the Messenger at The Meadows in western Pennsylvania. His only loss in his last 14 starts came in the Windy City Pace on October 31 at Maywood, where he was beaten by 3½ lengths by Allamerican Captor. During the year, he won races on six different tracks.

No Pan Intended might have one more start - either in the Provincial Cup at Windsor in Ontario or in the Matron at Dover Downs - before retiring, according to Glazer.

Of course, Eternal Camnation was first to the finish line often, too, and faced arguably the greatest group of older pacing mares in history. The group she regularly challenged included Bunny Lake, who was the 2001 Horse of the Year, and Worldly Beauty, who was the 2002 Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year and 2001 Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year. Eternal Camnation, Bunny Lake and Worldly Beauty are the three richest pacing mares in the sport's history.

Eternal Camnation on November 15 became only the third female to top the $3 million mark in career earnings, joining trotters Moni Maker and Peace Corps. She won at five different tracks this year, and set her season record of 1:50 by winning the Milton on September 27 at Mohawk in Ontario. She has won 43 of 83 lifetime starts and earned $3³8 million.

"She's never disappointed us in any way," said Jim Hardesty, who is joined by trainer Jeff Miller and Lori Miller in owning Eternal Camnation. "She does everything you could ever ask of a horse. Even when she gets beat, she gives you everything she's got. She's amazing."

50,000: Amount in dollars to supplement a horse into the Breeders Crown. The connections of three-year-old trotter Mr Muscleman and three-year-old filly pacer Burning Point put up the money, and were rewarded with wins. For Mr Muscleman, it was worth $292,500 and pushed his season earnings to $1¹7 million. For Burning Point, it was worth $335,000 and gives her $737,474 for the campaign.

14: Number of consecutive races won by Kikikatie to begin her career until she was upset by Pans Culottes, owned by Bob Glazer, in the Breeders Crown for two-year-old pacing fillies. As Glazer stood in the winner's circle following the race, Pans Culottes trainer, Ben Wallace, drove past while warming up a horse. "Hey, Bob! How'd we do?" he yelled, then flashed a wide grin. Glazer responded by giving the "thumbs up" sign.

10: Number of consecutive races won by Cantab Hall to begin his career after he was victorious in the two-year-old trot for colts and geldings. His winning margin of 5½ lengths was the largest of the night.

2: The number of women trainers to have won a Breeders Crown race after Burning Point triumphed in the three-year-old filly pace. She is trained by Linda Wallis, whose husband, Kevin, drove Burning Point to victory. "This was the greatest night of my life," Linda Wallis said. "I don't have any nails left. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Linda Toscano was the first woman to win a Breeders Crown championship with Molly Can Do It in 2002.

1: As in the first Breeders Crown championship won by each the driver, owner and trainer of Stroke Play, who captured the three-year-old filly trot. She is owned by Jorgen Jahre Jr., trained by Trond Smedshammer and was driven by Brian Sears. The trio had been a collective 0-for-17 with Breeders Crown starters.

This week's edition of HRC News marks the final weekly newsletter of the year. The next newsletter will be published on Monday, December 15. This week's Top Ten poll is also the final one of the year. The poll will resume in the spring of 2004.

HERVEY CASH UP FOR GRABS: The deadline for submitting stories, photos or television segments about harness racing to the 2003 Hervey Awards is December 10. The top award in each category is $500, with runner up prizes of $250 and $100. Entries must be postmarked by December 10 and sent to Paul Ramlow, US Trotting Association, 750 Michigan Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215 or contact him for more information at 614-224-2291 x3232, pramlow@ustrotting.com.

HORSE OF THE YEAR ballots will be sent to voters on December 3. The top two finalists in each category will be announced on Monday, December 22.

MUSEUM HOSTS CONCERT: Ring in the holiday season at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame's annual Jingle Bells Concert on Thursday, December 11, 2003 at 7:30 p.m. The Goshen High School Varsity Choir, the Jazz Voices, and the women's barbershop chorus, Hudson Harmony, will fill the halls of the museum with traditional carols.

Afterward, visitors may sip holiday punch and nibble on treats donated by Edie Haughney, senior financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Tickets for the concert are $3, but museum members will be admitted free. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

In the spirit of holiday giving, the Museum will offer a discount for all those who donate a gift to the Museum's Toys for Tots drop-off center, located in the lobby. Tickets for the Jingle Bells Concert may be reserved by calling (845) 294-6330. The museum's all-horse gift shop, will be open the night of the concert. In addition to equestrian-themed gifts, the shop also carries a selection of books on Orange County and the Hudson Valley Region. The gift shop will offer a 10 percent discount on the night of the concert. The concert is one of the many member benefit events offered by the museum. For information on becoming a member contact Joanne Young at (845) 294-6330.

The Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame is located at 240 Main Street in Goshen, and is open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. For further information on the Museum or to shop online at its web-site, log-on to www.harnessmuseum.com.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING to Northfield Park, near Cleveland on December 13. He'll give away gifts to good little harness fans like trips to Las Vegas, lottery tickets, and home wagering systems, including a cell phone, flat screen TV and a $300 voucher from BetHarness.com. The first 3,000 guests who either pay admission or donate a canned food item to the Emergency Assistance Center of Macedonia will get an instant prize worth between $4 and $30.

Breeders Crown, 2yo filly pace, $470,000, The Meadowlands
Pans Culottes (D. Dube) Kikikatie (D. Miller) Show Off (B. Sears); 1:54³ Margin: neck Owner: Peter Pan Stb., Pepper Pike, OH

Breeders Crown, 2yo filly trot, $480,000, The Meadowlands
Forever Starlet (D. Miller) Missive Hanover (J. Doherty) Silver Springs (J. Johnson); 1:57⁴ Margin: 2 ¼ Owners: Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, ON

Breeders Crown, 2yo colt trot, $420,000, The Meadowlands
Cantab Hall (M. Lachance) Cincinnati Kid (J. Moiseyev) American Mike (D. Palone); 1:56⁴ Margin: 5 ½ Owners: Brittany Farms, Lindy Racing Stb., Jerry Silva, Sampson St. Stb.

Breeders Crown, 3-year-old colt pace, $542,500, The Meadowlands
No Pan Intended (D. Miller) Escape The Wind (R. Mayotte) Art's Chip (M. Evers); 1:50³ Margin: head Owner: Peter Pan Stb., Pepper Pike, OH

Breeders Crown, 3-year-old colt trot, $585,000, The Meadowlands
Mr Muscleman (R. Pierce) Mr Eero (T. Ritchie) Amigo Hall (M. Lachance); 1:54² Margin: 2 Owner: Adam Victor, New York, NY

Breeders Crown, 3-year-old filly trot, $500,000, The Meadowlands
Stroke Play (B. Sears) Delmartha (J. Campbell) Lexus Hall (M. Lachance); 1:55² Margin: 2 Owner: Jorgen Jahre, Norway

Breeders Crown, 3-year-old filly pace, $670,000, The Meadowlands
Burning Point (K. Wallis) Armbro Amoretto (L. Ouellette) Loyal Opposition (A. Miller); 1:51⁴ Margin: head Owner: Cuzzins Stb, Boca Raton, FL