Year after year, horses bred and raised at Hunterton Farm in Paris, Ky., have been winning harness racing’s biggest races. The list of 2024 champions with connections to Hunterton includes THREE Breeders Crown winners—Allegiant  3 Year Old Filly Trot), Maryland  (2 Year Old Colt Trot), and Miki And Minnie  (2 Year Old Filly Pace)—and Valley Victory Trot victor Monserrate. 

The Stewarts, along with partner Atlantic Trot, bred Allegiant and Monserrate was bred by the Stewarts, Black Creek and Maumee River. Miki And Minnie was raised at Hunterton as a homebred for her owners. The Stewarts were brought into the ownership group of Maryland  when Anders Strom purchased him last year at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Coincidentally, the Stewarts and partners bred the dam of Maryland, Crucial. 

And the above horses weren’t the only big 2024 winners with a connection to Hunterton. In February of this year, the Stewarts put a group together to purchase the phenomenal trotting mare Jiggy Jog S, who holds a 1:49.2 mark and earned $3,095,467 before she was retired in the fall due to injury. 

In the fall of 2023, Hunterton sold a sister in blood to Maryland, a filly named Voguish, for $535,000. She wrapped up her freshman season with a secondplace finish in the Goldsmith Maid at the Meadowlands, beaten only by a nose.

The drumbeat continued this year for Hunterton Sales Agency as one of the leading consignors. At the Lexington Selected Sale, Hunterton sold 94 yearlings for a gross of more than $9 million. 

The Lexington consignment was highlighted by two yearling fillies that each sold for $550,000: Muffin Queen (Tactical Landing -Love Muffin)  and Naughty Beauty (Bettor’s DelightBeautyonthebeach). Hunterton Sales Agency also takes a large consignment to Harrisburg every fall and this year sold the colt Apex (Walner Mission Brief)  for $525,000, the third highest price at that auction. 

Investing in bloodlines has been a cornerstone of Hunterton’s business. In addition to its acquisition of interests in the mare Jiggy Jog S and future stallion Maryland, Steve Stewart and partners purchased the following mares in 2024: 

• On Your Tab  (Cantab Hall Soutaine Hanover Donerail), dam of Buy A Round 3, 1:51.4 ($745,782) 

• Pirouette Hanover p,3, 1:50.3 ($608,759)  (Western Ideal Paula’s Best Pro Bono Best), dam of Nijinsky p,3, 1:47.3 ($1,287,445) 

• Highland Top Hill 5, 1:52.4s ($148,624)  (Muscle HillHighland ImageAndover Hall), dam of Highland Kismet 3, 1:51.1s ($529,006), runnerup in 2024 Hambletonian 

• Miss I LA 3, 1:52.4 ($437,508)  (WalnerSouthwind VenusMuscle Hill), half sister to 2024 fastest two year old filly and stakes winner Luna Lovegood 2, 1:51.4 

• Special Talent 2,Q2:00.4  (Walner Special Hill Muscle Hill), full sister to Breeders Crown winner Special Way 3,1:51.2 ($1,296,815) 

• Beach Cowgirl p,4, 1:49.1 ($484,330)  (Captaintreacherous Stonebridge Sundae Camluck) 

• Paulina Hanover 3, 1:52f ($336,209)  (Father Patrick Personal Style Yankee Glide) 

Hunterton has never stood a stallion, putting its faith and concentration in its broodmares. While the first review of its labors comes when foals are born, the initial public test is at the fall yearling sales, when buyers inspect and invest. In 2025, Hunterton Sales Agency will offer the following yearlings at auction: 

• Walner filly—first foal—out of When Dovescry  3, 1:50 ($2,098,210) 

• Walner colt—first foal—out of Selfie Queen  3, 1:51.1 ($479,882) 

• Bulldog Hanover colt—first foal—out of Firestart Hanover  p,3, 1:49 ($1,273,448) 

• Gimpanzee colt out of Mission Brief  3, 1:50.2f ($1,599,587), the dam of 2024 stakes winner Kadena 2, 1:53.4 

• Pebble Beach filly out of Rocknificent  p,4, 1:48 ($1,153,822) 

• Muscle Hill filly out of Woodside Charm  2,1:53f ($531,658) 

• Gimpanzee filly out of Southwind Serena, dam of Mission Brief and Tactical Landing 

• Chapter Seven filly out of Dream Child, dam of Ari Ferrari J 3, 1:50.3 ($1,115,431) 

• Muscle Hill filly out of Guinevere Hall, dam of 2024 Valley Victory winner Monserrate 2, 1:52.1 ($332,693) 

• Walner colt out of Sarcy, the dam of Hambo winner Tactical Approach 3, 1:50.1 ($1,544,489) and Double Deceiver 3, 1:50.2 ($770,954) 

• Chapter Seven filly out of $2 million winner Maven, the dam of Pretender 3, 1:51.3 ($818,748). 

Hunterton now consists of over 1,300 acres in the lush rolling hills of Bourbon County, Ky. This gives them the amazing opportunity to raise great racehorses each year. While broodmares wait to foal—or barren or new mares wait for the breeding season to officially commence, the everyday rhythms of a horse breeding farm continue at Hunterton Farms in Paris, Ky for Steve and Cindy Stewart.