Dexter Dunn’s double not quite enough   

Despite a double on Hambletonian Day, Dexter Dunn has just been pipped as 2019-20’s most successful driver at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.  

The 10-time Kiwi champion  won with 19-to-one shot Starvin Marvin to finish the season with 85 wins at the Big M. He was left just one behind Yannick Gingras, who trailed Dunn going into the weekend, only to rein home seven winners in the final two meetings of the season.   

Dunn also won with the Chris Ryder-trained Bettor’s Wish, who won the Sam McKee Memorial in a career best 1:47.3 and was second with Major Occasion A to reigning horse of the year Shartin M in the feature mares pace, the Lady Liberty.   

Dunn’s good friend Andy McCarthy was the talk of Meadowlands however. He won North America’s biggest race the Hambletonian with Ramona Hill, who became just the 15^th filly to win the time- honoured feature. He had five wins in total for the day.      

The Hambletonian was named in honour of Hambletonian 10, a foundation sire of the Standardbred breed, and also known as the “father of the American trotter”.