The progeny of Always B Miki dominates the Dan Patch Awards

A superlative North American season for Always B Miki has been capped off with three of his offspring being named Dan Patch Award winners by the US Harness Writers Association overnight.

The Chris Ryder trained filly Niki Hill was crowned the US 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year on the back of an outstanding season in which she won nine of her 10 starts, including the Breeders Crown, She’s A Great Lady, Three Diamonds and the Kindergarten Classic.

She was the richest juvenile pacer overall in 2021 by a wide margin, with stakes earnings of $904,557.

Niki Hill is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Road Bet.

Always B Miki made it a clean sweep of the freshman divisions, with Monte Miki voted the 2YO Pacing Colt/Gelding of the Year.

The Mark Evers trained colt won six of seven starts in 2021, including the Metro Pace and the Breeders Crown, and was the richest juvenile male pacer of the year having banked $665,272 in stakes winnings.

He is out of the Camluck mare Montenegro.

The Joe Holloway trained colt Perfect Sting was named the US 3YO Pacing Colt/Gelding of the Year.

He was the highest earning standardbred in 2021 overall, winning more than $1.2 million in stakes.

The incredibly consistent pacer won seven of his 16 starts and finished runner-up in a further eight.

His feature wins included the Breeders Crown and a Little Brown Jug elimination, whilst he was also second in the Jug Final (by a nose), the Meadowlands Pace and the North America Cup.

Perfect Sting is a repeat Dan Patch winner, and he joins Tall Dark Stranger, Captaintreacherous and Somebeachsomewhere as the only male pacers to top their divisions at both two and three years of age in the last 20 years.

He is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Shebestingin.