Breaking Free: The World’s Fastest Trotter Heads into Hunt Seat at Pinto World

Homicide Hunter, the Fastest Trotter in the World, Transforms for the Hunt Seat at 2026 Pinto World

By Delores Kuhlwein

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard.

Anyone who has watched an exciting horse race understands what it means when a horse gets “boxed in” on the track, surrounded by other horses and unable to gain clear passage. However, figuratively, a horse who races can also become “boxed in” by misnomers about their ability to transform for another career.

A shining example toppling those misconceptions onto their head: Homicide Hunter, a stunning, bay Standardbred who is not only the active fastest trotter of all time globally, but who will now be hitting the arenas at the Pinto World Show in 2026.

“Homicide Hunter will be competing in Solid classes at the PtHA World Show this year in several Hunt Seat events: Equitation, Disciplined Rail, Pleasure, and Ideal,” explains Molly D’Agostino, Esq., director at the 501c3 organization called MMXX Standardbreds. The organization helps reveal the untapped potential of Standardbred athletes, giving them the opportunity for a flourishing second career.

Homi, the MMXX Standardbreds’ Poster Boy

“Homi” is poised to be the perfect poster boy for the success of their two-tiered program: an off-track standardbred adoption program, and an all-standardbred national show team which is utilized as a marketing arm for the adoptions.

The world record setting trotter was given some well-deserved time off at the end of his racing career, then last year, he was retrained to be a show horse, and he quickly became a decorated one.

“In his first year as a show horse, he actually earned top honors as the highest pointed Standardbred show horse in the country as tallied by our breed show organization (Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization),” explains Molly.

The name of Molly D’Agostino may ring a bell for readers, as she says she was fortunate to  have some wonderful AQHA mentors when she began training the off-track Standardbreds.  “This horse is exceptional in the ring and so we decided to commit to bringing him to PtHA  World Show in hopes (win, lose or draw) to get some real eyes on the Standardbred breed as a show horse– to make this whole “Standardbreds” in the show ring be a ‘thing!!’”

Molly, a harness racing owner, got into showing because she foresaw a future for the breed.  “I thought if we could get Standardbreds showing and doing well that more people would be willing to give them a safe, suitable home after they finish on the racetrack, similar to thoroughbreds.   Because truly no one was showing them at large scale, we had to engineer it from scratch,” she explains.

Dispelling Myths and Misinformation

Everyone knows that Standardbreds excel as trotters, and Molly says cantering is the biggest barrier by far in making the Standardbred an easy sell to a show home. There’s an unspoken assumption they can’t canter, which is not the case. “I’m happy to report that it’s purely myth and misinformation. The truth is, on the racetrack, cantering during a race can result in disqualification, so racing trainers discourage the behavior. When transitioning to riding, the horses still think they aren’t allowed to canter because truthfully they weren’t. It’s all mental. Mechanically speaking, there’s no barrier at all.”

She adds that since the breed is extremely bright those mental shields that are easily installed are also fortunately easily uninstalled.

“Another interesting fact that’s often completely lost is that the canter training process is actually a lot easier for a pacer than a trotter. Trotters will trot Mach one before swapping over the first few times. Pacers are much more used to a lateral gait and will switch over much easier when you’re first teaching them that it’s okay,” Molly reveals. “I love to recommend pacers for any DIY folks out there looking to get into showing with an inexpensive, user-friendly horse like a Standardbred (and yes; they all trot).”

In the case of Homicide Hunter, they had to be prepared for not only what was a “Mach one” moment, but for what she jokes they thought would be the “Mach Jesus” moment as the World’s Fastest Trotter.  Homi surprised them by easily swapping to the canter. “His canter also had a very nice cadence for a first timer which was another pleasant surprise,” she recalls. “I would think this may be because he had years off in between careers to reset the brain.”

Headed to Pinto World

In the irons in Tulsa this summer will be MMXX Standardbreds team member Grace Glasko, who has never shown at the PtHA World Show, but has shown PtHA regionally and worked on a similar project with Mustangs.

Molly concludes, “It’s been a true pleasure to work with this horse, and he’s been exceptional thus far. I am hoping that this journey can inspire more to consider Standardbreds, which will help us eliminate the kill pen crisis for the breed all together.”

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Watch for Homicide Hunter at this year’s Pinto World Championship Show in Tulsa (schedule coming soon):

https://www.pinto.org/general-information

 

Learn more about MMXX Standardbreds by visiting their website: https://www.mmxxstbs.com/