Before sustaining a tendon injury ending her hopes for another Horse of the Year campaign, Rainbow Blue, 2004 Horse of the Year, was undefeated in her first four starts of the 2005 season including a world record performance and two season's leading performances.

At the time, Rainbow Blue was again at the top, first place in the weekly Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. The four-year-old Winbak-sired, raised and sold pacer started off the season by setting a world record, becoming the first female to pace a sub 1:50 mile over a five-eighths mile racetrack with a remarkable 1:49.4f performance coming in the leadoff Classic Distaff event at Dover Downs.

In the event's second leg on June 4 at Woodbine Racecourse, she romped to a 1:49.1 victory. Rainbow Blue won all four of her 2005 racing appearances.

Early in the season, Winbak bred Four Starz Sisco won the leadoff major stake for sophomores, the $225,480 Berry Creek Final, notching a 1:50.3 win at the Meadowlands. Pat's All Star, a son of Village Jove, who stands at Winbak of New York, finished second.

Miss Gibbons, a five-year-old mare by Giant Hit who also stands at Winbak of New York, reduced her lifetime record to 1:53.2, the fastest time of the year for an older mare trotter, winning at the Meadowlands. Earlier, she broke her own track record for age, gait and gender, at Monticello Raceway on May 18.

He's Personal, a Badlands Hanover gelding, became the fastest two-year-old of the season on June 30 recording an impressive 1:52.2 performance at the Meadowlands.

Vial Flyte, a soph daughter of Badlands Hanover, is the fastest filly over a five-eighths mile track, notching a 1:52.4 at Dover Downs.

Blissfull Hall has made a strong impression in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program. Managed by Winbak Farms and standing at Dr. John Hurtgen's Nandi Farm, in New Freedom, Pa., Blissfull Hall-sired freshman fillies Evening Forecast, 2. 1:56.2f, bred, raised and sold by Winbak Farms, and Armbro Dancer p,2,1:56.4f streaked to the fastest division wins in the $145,992 event.

Meanwhile at Rockingham Park, a Blissfull Hall three-year-old filly Rita Hall, p,3,1:55.4f captured the $25,000 Belle Acton Final winning in 1:57.1.

North of the border, colts and fillies by Rustler Hanover had another banner week in Ontario stakes.

Alastor Hanover won the "Gold." The Rustler Hanover colt won the $130,000 Ontario Sire Stakes (ONSS) Gold Final at Mohawk. In a "Gold" prelim for fillies at Rideau Carlton, Draconian Promise came on for a 1:58.1 victory.

Meanwhile in an ONSS Grassroots division, Rustlin Goodtime took first place money.

A Winbak bred, raised and sold two-year-old Done Dreamen became a season leading gelding on July 6 recording a 2:00.3 victory at the Meadowlands.

Add to the list of Winbak bred or sired winners this season. Carousel Frame p,2,1:57.2f won a $145,992 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes filly division at The Meadows; Modern Medicine p,2,1:52.1f won a $33,993 Maryland Standardbred Race Fund division at Rosecroft Raceway; Self Possessed 3,1:54, season leading three-year-old gelding, scored a 1:54 win in a $35,000 Stanley Dancer Three-Year-Old Trot elimination.

Lawman, a four-year-old Malabar Man horse notched a 1:51.3 victory, the fastest mile of the year for a male trotter, at the Meadowlands.

Malabar Man stands at Winbak of New York. Another son of Malabar Man, Armbro Barrister is season leading four-year-old horse trotter on a five-eighths-mile track with a 1:55.1f victory and on a half-mile oval winning in 1:57.2h.

Winbak Farm-bred trotter, Vivid Photo is the fastest four-year-old gelding of the season, following a 1:54.4f mile at Pocono Downs.

Southern Walton, an altered son of Walton Hanover, who stood at Winbak of Delaware, recorded a 1:50.2f mile at Dover Downs, the fastest time of the season for an older gelding over a five-eighths mile oval.

Marv Bachrad