Iditarod 52 top "ten"

Let's face it, this blog will never have a true top ten. With a smaller roster and more competitive teams than ever it's more than impossible to narrow it down. Too many variables. Too many changes to roster last minute that could shake things up. Too many, too many, too many!

With the news last week of first Eddie Burke Jr. being DQed from the race last Tuesday (only to be reinstated Friday, then announced Monday he's withdrawing) and Brent Sass DQed on Thursday, predictions blew apart for everyone. It will be interesting to see how the drama will effect not just the teams involved, but the race in general. If this race goes off like other "over dramatc" years, it may all be forgotten for the two weeks of Iditarod as everyone gathers to celebrate. Often the pomp and circumstance of the Ceremonial and Re-Start have a way of helping fans and the mushing community move on - especially if the starts are a success.

With a roster of thirty-nine teams the roster is a who's who of competitive long distance teams. Three Iditarod Champions are on the roster, two teams are back after a short hiatus, and perennial favorites. It's a roster that seems very familiar, and yet new at the same time.

But who takes top prize is anyone's guess. Let's take a look at some solid bets for your Fantasy Team.

Aaron Burmeister - One of the mushers that has tried and failed to stay away. Burmeister took the 2023 race off as a hiatus to spend more time with the family. Burmeister has found himself consistently in the top ten over the last decade with just a couple of dips out of it. He came close to winning the whole thing in 2021 when he almost caught Dallas in the final hours of the Gold Loop Trail. Burmeister's been quiet this season, choosing not to run the Kusko 300 as he'd originally planned citing concerns over the weather and trail conditions. Could the year off be what Aaron needed to finally bring his first win in his home town?

Dallas Seavey - The other musher who chose to take last year off and then surprised many when he showed up in June to sign up for the 52nd running of Iditarod. The five-time champion spent last year's race on the back of an iron dog to - he said - share the experience with his kiddo... but was he also studying his future competition? One thing is for certain, Dallas' quest for six is back on and it may be a bumpy one. Fans will remember that one of Dallas' handlers was running a team on the Denali Highway when it was struck by a snow machine. Several dogs were injured and killed - some that may have made Dallas's team for Iditarod otherwise. Dallas' operation is big enough that he should still have a strong team to challenge for another title, and it never hurts to run with a chip on your shoulder. The real question is - will we see The Sweater?

Jessie Holmes - Six Iditarods. Six finishes. Four top ten finishes. It looks like Team Can't Stop lives up to their name. Jessie Holmes is the "reality star" though he's more than capable of long distance mushing. He's had a short race season this year, but he very nearly ran down Brent Sass in the Copper Basin 300. Holmes has the goal and drive to win Iditarod, but as we all know it's a whole lot easier on paper than it is to actually do. Jessie is an interior musher who lives a subsistence lifestyle. His dogs are used to colder temperatures so this crazy winter weather Alaska's had recently could play a huge factor on how his team responds to the race. Look for Jessie to run a very aggressive race unless things warm up.

Jessie Royer - One of the few mushers to finish "in the money" with the full team of dogs (and when it was still sixteen dogs at that!), Jessie Royer is a constant in the top ten. The Musher who divides her time between Montana and Alaska (and also divides her time between mushing and mounted shooting) is a fan favorite. She's one of the quiet ones, the steady ones, she's always in the mix but she isn't getting much of the attention. She isn't flashy, she isn't showing off in anyway. She just does it. She rarely complains, she rarely gets excitable. She takes care of her dogs, they head down the trail, and they do well. She calculated and strategic. A good combination for a team. Look for Royer to hang back for the first third of the race before she picks off the teams in front of her.

Matthew Failor - The "17th dog" dog team and musher, Failor is coming off another second place finish in the highly competitive Kuskokwim 300 narrowly missing the chance to run down Pete Kaiser. Failor told the local media that he is "really, really good" at finishing second. Failor finally cracked the top ten last year finishing 8th in the Iditarod. Matthew's won the Most Improved musher several times in Iditarod, and won Most Inspirational for having to dispatch several moose on the trail sacrificing his race as he had to dress each one. He prides himself on having won several humanitarian (ie best cared for dogs) in other races. The new dad should have a good run to Nome.

Matt Hall - This newly wed combined kennels with his bride and is now one half of the mushing team of Silver Aces kennel. Hall is a former Yukon Quest Champion (back in the day of thousand mile races). Matt pulled off a fourth place finish in the Iditarod and in 2021 won most inspirational musher. He's been mushing the majority of his life, starting his own kennel at age 16. Matt's finished in the top ten twice in his five Iditarods - his rookie year he barely missed the top ten coming in 11th place. Hall had a strong finish in the Copper Basin 300 this year placing fifth. If all goes right he should see another top ten finish in this year's Iditarod.

Paige Drobny  - Squid Acres is the place to be! Dog mushin' is the life for.... sorry, got carried away. If you aren't aware of Paige Drobny you haven't been paying attention. Drobny and her Squids are often near or on top of the podium at any race, and while she hasn't always cracked the top ten at Iditarod she's poised to jump back into that ranking with the Squids not being divided by two teams this year. Paige came in fourth place in the Copper Basin and her husband Cody Strathe came in third. Combining the best of both teams into one mega team just may be the key to Drobny meeting or beating her best placement (two 7th place finishes). 

Pete Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion just won his eighth Kukso 300 with a full compliment of 12 dogs at the finish. Kaiser owns his hometown race, focusing much of his energy in competiting for top prize. The last couple of years for Iditarod fans were left wondering if Kaiser had plans to sign up, the champion choosing to wait and sign up later than what most do. Pete gave last year's champion a major run for his money, seeming to catch up to him in the final leg and be poised to overtake him, but the Bethel musher chose to hang back and give his dogs more rest - reading their needs over his need for a win. Second place is nothing to sniff at, and Pete gave quite the show for fans (he also got high praise from Dallas Seavey in the impromptu Insider feeds). Could it be Kaiser's turn to repeat in Iditarod this year?

Ryan Redington - Speaking of last year's champion. He did it. A Redington is finally champion (and for this year reigning) of Joe Redington Sr's race. As most champions will tell you, repeating is crazy hard. Few have won it a second time much less consecutively. Many of the ones that have in modern race history were generational mushers. Ryan is a generational musher. Redington had to change all of his mushing plans this year as his winter training grounds in the Lower 48 never had winter, so he pivoted and traveled to Alaska to hit up all of the races he normally misses. The reigning champ has a new found swagger of confidence which could help him navigate his defending championship run. 

Travis Beals - Though the last couple of years he's not made it to the top ten, Travis seems to be in a very good headspace with a strong team to make it back in and challenge for a top spot. Beals is a new dad who is now training out of Knik, home of many wonderful trails - including the Iditarod trail he's planning to head down this weekend. Travis finished third in the Kusko 300, a huge achievement. Travis writes in his Iditarod Bio that he feels he's starting to get to the point where the things in his life outside of mushing are in order to make his goal of winning Iditarod possible. Travis with partner Sarah Stokey welcomed their first child, Elias, this past year.

But, what about...?! you say. Of course we aren't going to stop at ten. When has this blog ever stopped at ten? We have a few honorable mentions/wildcards. 

Let's not forget Amanda Otto who nearly ran down Brent Sass last year in the Yukon Quest Alaska with a crazy amazing run in the last leg after banking a ton of rest to push her team on a monster leg. It was incredible and showed her tenacity and her ability to read her team and know how far she could ask them to go. She runs a team out of Jeff King's Husky Homestead so you know it's a good one.

Let's also not forget Hunter Keefe, the happiest musher the world has ever seen. Okay, that's a made up on the spot declaration on this blog's part, but seriously - HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HUNTER? Keefe runs dogs out of Raymie and Barb Redington's kennel... the parents of the reigning Iditarod Champion. Hunter narrowly missed out on winning Rookie of the Year, and he's had a fantastic season this year as well. Hunter came in fourth at the Kusko 300 in his rookie race. Keefe's positive attitude through any number of trials on the trail keeps his head on straight and he just goes. He even beat Ryan Redington this year! Honestly he probably SHOULD be in the top ten.

We'll put Mille Porsild in here as well, though Mille reported early in the season she's in a sort of rebuilding year with a very young team. Mille's also been sick recently and has had to rely on help of others to keep the training miles up while she recovers (she says she is now on the mend.) Still, Mille is a force on the trail (and off) so if the chips fall into place expect her to blow the top ten wide open.

Last but not least Nicolas Petit needs a mention. Why he isn't in the top ten this year is mainly due to his very lackluster season. While he hasn't bombed completely the musher has been very open about his struggles this year. Not able to get the right food his team enjoys (quality beef), stressing about finances, and just a series of unfortunate setbacks. Petit decided to scale back and focus on the Iditarod - but he kept up appearances by commenting on each race he missed (and some he attended as a spectator - like Fur Rondy this past weekend) via social media. He weighed in on the Idita-drama, and genuinely enthralled his fans with his haiku like posts. It's anyone's guess how Nic's Iditarod plays out this time.

One last musher that needs a mention - Anna Berington. For the first time in *counts on fingers but gives up* a long time, the Beringtons are not running the Iditarod together. Due to rising costs of running a successful racing kennel, the reinstating of the 16-dog team, and Kristy wanting to start a family with her husband, the Seeing Double Racing Kennel decided to take the next step and create one very competitive team. This could be another wildcard, and Anna may very well end up with the award for most improved musher. Anna placed 22nd in last year's Iditarod, so depending on where she ends up finishing she could have the biggest jump in placement.

As with every Iditarod, the certain is never truly certain. So many factors come into play, and just one wrong hair can be enough to derail a top team's plan. But, these names are almost certain to keep you in the running in the Fantasy Mushing realm. (That being said this blogger has yet to crack the top 100 much less the top 10 in Fantasy Mushing.)

So, who are your top ten? Who do you hope takes the top prize? Comment below with your thoughts on this top ten (and then some).

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).