News Briefs - September 16

Dunn heads to the top in USA, a history-maker is set for an extended spell from the sulky and a new breeding initiative all feature in this week's News Briefs.

Dunn is number one

Kiwi star Dexter Dunn is now officially the highest-earning driver in the USA in 2026. The former 10-time NZ Champion has just clocked up $10m in stakes for the year, pushing past previous leader Jason Bartlett on $9.6m. Dunn has 216 wins this year and total earnings of $10.17m. He has been in red hot form of late winning big races week in week out. One of his latest successes was with Super Chapter in the $1m MGM Yonkers Invitational Trot. Dunn is a five-time Driver of the Year in the USA and is on track now to make it six in 2026.

$2m in stakes

In this country champion driver Blair Orange has gone past $2m in stakes earnings in 2026. It's the 10th year in a row he's gone past the mark, with his best year being the $3.5m in stakes he won in 2024. Orange has 119 wins so far this year ($2.06m) to be at the top of the premiership and 35 wins ahead of John Dunn (84). Orange has won the last eight premierships, closing in on the 10 Dexter Dunn had between 2008 and 2017 before he headed to the USA. Team Dunn (Robert and Jenna) lead the training premiership on 99 wins to be 26 clear of last year's winners Steve and Amanda Telfer.

Like father like son

One of Dexter Dunn's great moments came with Bulldog Hanover when he set an all-time world record for the fastest ever mile with a 1:45.8 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey in 2022. Now Bulldog Hanover gelding Redland Rocket Man has set a world record-equalling 1:46.8 for the 3YO geldings. The win came in the Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario, Canada. The 3YO's next big target is likely to be the Little Brown Jug in Delaware later in the month.

Manning sidelined with back injury  

New Zealand Trotting Cup-winning history-maker Kerryn Manning is set for an extended stint on the sidelines. She fractured three vertebrae in a fall at Melton in Victoria on Saturday and is now awaiting further assessments on what her recovery will involve. Manning made history when she became the first woman to win the New Zealand Cup with Arden Rooney in 2015. She is also a five-time Australian premiership winner and was the first woman to drive 4,000 winners.

Howdy Mate's NZ plans

Trainer Jess Tubbs admits she is “running out reasons” not to take her exciting young trotter Howdy Mate to New Zealand in November. The gelding posted his ninth career win and his biggest so far when he cruised to victory in Saturday's star-studded $100,000 Group 1 Vicbred 3YO colts and geldings final at Melton.
Watching and cheering from NZ was Howdy Mate’s managing owner and Trackside presenter Brittany Graham, who races Howdy Mate with high-powered Americans Nancy Takter and Michelle Crawford. “Brittany’s been on the phone this morning talking about NZ,” Tubbs said. “I’m running out of reasons not to go.” Graham added: “With the (NZ) Derby worth $200,000, we’ve got to give it serious thought.” The win took his record to 25 starts for nine wins, four seconds, two thirds and $182,545.

Sires' Stakes latest update 

To see the latest news for everything relating to the NZ Sires' Stakes click here 

BredEX now live for breeding stock listings

The New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Association has launched BredEX, a dedicated online marketplace for standardbred breeding stock, now live at bredex.thebreeders.co.nz. Built and run in house by the Association, BredEX gives breeders and owners a professional, visible place to showcase, lease and sell breeding stock, with the simple aim of getting more mares in foal rather than sitting empty. The platform covers broodmares, weanlings and yearlings, which can be offered for sale, for lease, or free to a good home. It does not handle racing stock. Every listing carries the seller's direct contact details, so buyers and sellers deal with each other rather than through an intermediary, and the Association takes no commission on any sale. Anyone can create a free account to browse what is available. Listing is a benefit of NZSBA membership, so sellers need to be financial members, and every listing is checked by a moderator before it goes live. Listers must have an ownership interest in the horse. Membership is $120, or $40 for under 40s, and runs from 1 September to 31 August. For breeders with a mare surplus to requirements, or anyone looking for a mare to start or add to a broodmare band, BredEX is the place to look. Head to bredex.thebreeders.co.nz to browse listings or create an account.

Busy week ahead

Now that we have hit spring the quality and quantity of racing right around the country has certainly gone up a few gears. After Addington's mid week meeting today there are Cambridge and Winton meetings tomorrow, followed by some cracking fields at both Auckland and Addington on Friday night and then the Banks Peninsula meeting at Geraldine on Sunday.

To see all the fields click here