Top Ten in Nome

It's been a slow but wild ride to get the top ten into Nome. With the longer trail it seems the run to White Mountain gave each team a cushion and spread out what is normally a quick first ten teams into the finish. Holmes came in Friday morning and tenth place did not finish until Saturday Afternoon. This feels more like the "good ol' days" of mushing when finishes went on for a week or more. We don't have that many teams left on the trail to make a weeks worth of finishes possible, but it's still a strange and wonderful feeling to have Iditarod last "just a little bit longer."

Second place Matt Hall came into Nome just three hours after the champion. This is Hall's second second place finish. The musher chose to focus his entire season on Iditarod and had mentioned ahead of this year's race that he would not be able to run down teams using the carry dog strategy, however Hall did keep up with two teams doing just that. Matt was always in good spirits during this year's race and fans ate up his baby talking encouragement to the dogs (especially when he couldn't turn it off when talking to people while caring for the dogs). Matt was in White Mountain letting village kids play with his sled and pet his dogs. In Nome Matt's dog Dyea swallowed his celebratory steak whole. At the finish Matt joked about how long the race felt on the Yukon, turning around afterwards and asking "ONLY ten days and seventeen hours?! It felt like two weeks!"

Third place was Paige Drobny and the Squids. The team was enthusiastically cheered into Nome by the team of handlers decked out in boas and flashy tinsel skirts - they even did a kick line. As they cheerleaded out "Paige-Paige Drobny!" a strong line of eleven dogs trotted up into the finishers chute. Paige was greeted with a flower boa from husband and kennel partner Cody Strathe as she walked down the line petting and praising each of her canine teammates. Paige was a very last minute addition to the Iditarod roster. Like February last minute. Paige told everyone in her finish "interview" that after seeing how well the dogs had done in races in January that they "deserved to be here" in the Iditarod. And belong they did. The team that surprised everyone last year with a 4th place finish as a bunch of young "rookie" dogs have proven they were no fluke. This team is special and Paige/Cody better make the decision now that a third go needs to happen.

Fourth place saw Michelle Phillips cross under the newly installed burled arch. The Canadian musher was in stealth mode for most of the race. Fans certainly kept her on their radar, but she wasn't really in the conversation for a top spot for most of the race. Phillips and team kept a low profile and by the coast began to pick off teams with ease. As "Clipboard Nicolle" welcomed the musher to Nome and announced her finishing time of 11 days 4 hours, Michelle giggled and said "Wow. That's a Quest race!" referring to the now bygone thousand mile race across Alaska and Canada. Michelle's 9 pups were perky and they quickly trotted down to the "barking lot".

Perhaps the surprise of this year's top ten is fifth place musher Bailey Vitello. The musher is most likely in the running for "most improved" musher, having jumped from last year's 17th place finish to this year's fifth. The musher known for his personality and his mullet came to Alaska in 2022 to run the Iditarod in 2023 - it was going to be a one time thing. "Problem" was - he fell in love with Alaska and with the Iditarod. With this fifth place finish it's likely he'll be here to stay for a while. Bailey was greated by friends and family in the chute, in his sled bag was his dog Jenny who he said was on her last race and he felt she deserved to make it to Nome so he chose to carry her on the last leg. The pup seemed content to ride, but also looked like she wanted to jump out and join the rest of the team eating their steak dinners. He said at the finish "I've always wanted to run the Fairbanks route, but I don't ever want to run the Yukon again." He's promised he will be back.

Travis Beals managed another sixth place finish having leap frogged over several teams late in the race to get there. Travis admitted at the finish that he tried to be a little more laid back this year after having gone a little too hard last year to end up going from leading the race to dropping quickly behind on the race to the Coast, but "it was maybe a little too laid back" this year. Beals came in early Saturday morning and was met by his family under the newly constructed Burled Arch that Beals helped with by finding "the perfect tree." The tree came from Seward, Beals' hometown and original training trails, and when Ramey Smith was on the quest to find a new burled tree for the arch Travis said he had just the one. Travis has the fastest time from Safety to Nome of the Top Ten taking only two hours and forty-four minutes (the award, though, is determined amongst the top twenty teams).

Seventh place had many fans worried as Mitch Seavey was poised to take fifth place when he came into White Mountain ahead of both Bailey and Travis. The three-time Iditarod Champion had leapfrogged over many teams along the coast to get back into contention, and he seemed like a shoo-in for that fifth place (or maybe battling for forth with Michelle), but then he stayed in White Mountain. And he stayed... and stayed a little more. Sean Underwood of the Insider reported that all was fine with the team but that Mitch had "hit the snooze button". It was offered that Mitch had maybe injured himself and was having a difficult time. Still, when the musher did finally pick the team up and point them Nomeward the team trotted down the trail at the typical pep and step of a Seavey team. Seavey didn't stay long in the finisher's chute, opting to get the dogs bedded down in the barking lot and then heading to his bed. Handlers report the musher is still in good spirits and that he just needs some rest and time to recover from this very long and difficult Iditarod.

Six dogs ran into the chute for an 8th place finish for the 2023 Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington. Ryan had had a fantastic and seemingly flawless first half of the race. Even with the punchy trail that caused some dogs to be returned home much earlier than expected, Redington was in good spirits and had high praise for his mighty team. Things seemed to go sideways on their way to the coast, but they managed to stay in the top ten even with the smallest team. Ryan noted the difficult training conditions he and many of the mushers faced this year and how he was so proud of the little team that managed to complete one of the most difficult trails to date. Ryan said he was proud to continue the legacy of his grandfather and hoped for many more Iditarods to come. Before leaving the chute, Ryan made sure to take to the microphone to congratulate the newest member of the Iditarod Champions club Jessie Holmes.

It isn't Iditarod if there isn't drama, and Mille Porsild gave everyone a good bit of it again this year. Not the bad kind of drama. Not the medical kind of drama. No, the tracker fell off the sled kind. The tracker somehow managed to disconnect from the musher's sled around the shelter cabin at the entrance of the infamous "Blowhole" and so no one thought anything of it to see it showing as "resting". With no way to track where the musher was, or even any indication that they weren't tracking her, volunteers decided they could let their guard down and rest as well. As they kept watch on a non moving tracker, no one was aware that Mille was nearing the final stop of Safety. When she made it in no one apparently was around, so she took it upon herself to check in and out and she continued to Nome. Weird, but not anything she felt overly concerned about. It wasn't until several hours later when the next team came into Safety that volunteers even realized Mille'd been there and realized she didn't have a tracker. Nome was notified and soon "clipboard Nicolle" was woken up from her nap and told they were going to have to do this finish "old school". Mille pulled into the finish shoot and shouted "Well that was difficult!" also exclaiming how happy she was to be in Nome. She was greeted by friends and family and Iditarod Champion Jessie Holmes - who then went right to work unbootying the team while Mille checked in with Nicolle. 

Riley Dyche rounds out the top ten coming in Saturday afternoon and is currently the most recent finish off the Iditarod trail. The Dark Horse Kennel's musher came under the burled arch declaring "that was a tough one." Riley took a year off from Iditarod as he made some big changes for his kennel, moving from Two Rivers to Big Lake where he worked on renovating the home and property to make it into the kennel set up he wanted. The musher is also now the one running the cart rides at the Iditarod HQ property in Wasilla - taking the reins from Raymie Redington. Riley said he had a strong core of yearlings in his 2023 race that he spent the last two seasons building around. He admitted that this year's race was a challenge and didn't go according to plan, though he also conceded he believed it didn't go to most people's plans, and said it proved to be mentally challenging. Through its challenges, though, Riley's team broke the top ten, which is an 8 place jump over his last Iditarod. If Riley isn't careful he may need to change the name of his kennel because he is quickly becoming anything but a dark horse.

There are still thirteen teams on the trail, with a battle for 11th place currently being run from Safety to Nome. Will it be Matt Failor who currently has a three mile lead, or will Nicolas Petit do what many expect him to do and continue to speed up and over take the 17th Dog. Petit is often able to claim the "fastest from Safety" prize, and currently shows as running over 2mph faster than Failor.

Our current Red Lantern made her way off the Sea Ice and into Koyuk earlier Saturday and is currently resting in the checkpoint. Jenny Roddewig has been able to successfully navigate much of the second half of Iditarod alone. She has 170 miles to go.

Look for the next teams to come into Nome around 7:45pm AKDT. 

Jessie Holmes on his way to White Mountain

Iditarod fans woke up to a surprise to see Jessie Holmes not already in White Mountain. With the lead the musher has over the next closest teams, Holmes chose to rest in Elim for three and a half hours before heading towards the mountains and the village of White Mountain. Holmes left the checkpoint several minutes before Matt Hall arrived.

Jessie Holmes has lead for most of the second half of the Iditarod, having what many consider to be the "magic ride". Even when things went apparently sideways for the musher, Jessie perservered and stayed with his plan and ran a seemingly flawless race. With about 80 miles left to go, it's still possible for Mother Nature to throw one or two more curveballs at Team Can't Stop, but for now it looks like Jessie is solidly taking home the title of Iditarod Champion.

Matt Hall is about twenty four miles behind the leader, and has also run an impressive race. Behind Hall, Paige Drobny is resting in Elim. Depending on when Paige and team leave the checkpoint, second place could be an exciting battle.

In the back of the pack current red lantern is now Jenny Roddewig mileage wise, she is the only team not in Kaltag. Calvin Daugherty had to take his mandatory rest in Kaltag and should be leaving in a few minutes with a well rested team. 

If Jessie makes it to White Mountain around 8:45am he will be able to leave by 4:45pm. It's a 77 mile jaunt to Nome from White Mountain and is normally run in 10-11 hours, so we could see a champion around 2am Friday morning. We'll know more once Holmes' team gets into the checkpoint.

Jessie Holmes first into Unalakleet

Tuesday evening the village of Unalakleet welcomed the first of many Iditarod to the coast of Western Alaska. Jessie Holmes and his team of eleven dogs loped into the checkpoint of Unalakleet just a little after 7pm. The musher was all fist pumps and smiles as his team expertly weaved through the crowd to get their check by the vets and the musher given his award and handshakes.

The first team to the coast is awarded gold nuggest and other swag from the village and the award sponsor. The musher and his team was surrounded by fans and villagers crowding in congratulating him as he accepted the award. The presenter will re-present the award at the finishers banquet in Nome on Sunday.

Jessie Holmes stayed in the checkpoint long enough to grab his supplies, accept the award, and pack another bale of straw before heading back out onto the trail. The musher remains running eleven dogs as he begins his final leg of Iditarod 53, bu has ditched his trailer behind his sled. It's all about efficency and light weight from here on out for these teams.

Jessie previously told Insider that he plans to camp on the trail and not stay in checkpoints for the rest of the race (except White Mountain, of course). Jessie and team will run over land, across the Blueberry Hills, and down onto a little spit of land into Shaktoolik. As always the wind will play a huge part in the next two days for the teams. Often teams who do not stop in Unalakleet will rest between the checkpoints and then begin their journey across the Norton Sound.

Behind Holmes are Matt Hall and Paige Drobny. Both mushers camped on the run from Kaltag and Hall is now about 8 miles from Unalakleet. Matt is within distance of catching Holmes - if Holmes makes a mistake or the wheels start to come off. Drobny, too, has a very good chance of catching both, but she is currently resting 10 miles away from Unalakleet. Both mushers are about to quickly run out of miles to catch and pass the leader, but it's doable.

In past year's we've seen what was believed to be a solid time falter on the crossing of the Norton Sound. Teams have gotten lost in the ground storms that most always pop up, the wind batters down the teams to where they stop while others continue, and some just full on run out of gas. We saw that with Holmes' team a smidge last year when he dropped back a few places trying to hold onto a lead he didn't really have (trying to keep Dallas behind him). It's just how this race goes.

Behind Hall and Drobny are the chase pack currently led by Mille Porsild. Michelle Phillips, Mitch Seavey, Nicolas Petit, and Bailey Vitello are also on the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet. The top six seems fairly secure in their placements, but the next two runs will no doubt play a huge factor.

At the back of the pack Quince Mountain is still running as the Red Lantern, resting currently in Grayling. Everyone else is either resting in Shageluk or on their way back through the loop. Several teams are on their mandatory 8 on the loop, others still jockeying for that "perfect" time to take it.

We are now solidly in race mode for the front pack. Still looking like Thursday for a champion finish (at the earliest).

Jessie Holmes first to Kaltag2

As predicted, Jessie Holmes was first into the final checkpoint of the Iditarod Loop. Holmes and his team of athletes ran up into the village of Kaltag around 9pm Monday. With his first into Kaltag, Jessie Holmes won the Fish First award which comes with a check for $2000 as well as 25 pounds of Bristol Bay salmon.

Jessie Holmes had full command of the loop over the last two days and has chosen to take his mandatory 8 in this final checkpoint of Kaltag 2. Iditarod Insider also reported that Jessie has elected to send one of his dogs home, leaving him with 12 dogs - which is more than enough dog power for the final leg of the race.

Behind Holmes is Matt Hall currently resting 33 miles from Kaltag. It would be a good assumption that the 2017 Yukon Quest champion plans to not stay long in Kaltag and hopefully leapfrog over the current leader. Hall chose to take his 8 several checkpoints back and is in the wildcard position of the top three to take the lead.

In third is Paige Drobny who rested earlier in the day on the trail and is now just 13 miles until she passes Hall. It's mused that Paige will also choose to not stay long in Kaltag and camp somewhere between Kaltag and Unalakleet.

From here on out the trail should be familiar for both veteran mushers and the fans. Most know that the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet is where the leaders are separated from the rest. Just last year, those that led for much of the second leg of the race were thwarted on their run to the coast. Some of those teams are now once again at the front of the race and staring at that same trail that derailed their run.

Further back in Eagle Island is Mitch Seavey currently taking his mandatory 8. The three time Iditarod Champion has run in fourth position for most of the day, choosing short rests on the trail long enough to feed the dogs and give them some time off the trail. Knowing that he planned to take his 8 at the next checkpoint the veteran musher is banking on the rest he's built up in the team to help them bounce back from this long run and be ready to challenge and overtake anyone who stalls on their way to Unalakleet and Shaktoolik.

Michelle Phillips has used Seavey's mandatory to be able to slingshot ahead of him and is now the race's fourth place team. Phillips has quietly been in the mix of the chase pack and could play spoiler much like Seavey should one of the top three's wheels start to fall off.

For the back of the pack Quince Mountain - current Red Lantern - made it to Eagle Island as the sunset over the Yukon. The team looked well rested but also thankful to be getting a good bit of rest. The musher broke up the run from Kaltag to Eagle Island into two runs and will most likely rest six hours before continuing on. The next furthest back of the pack musher is Dream a Dream Kennel's Sydnie Bahl who is running a very conservative race with the goal of finishing not placement according to mentor Cindy Abbott.

Jessie's official time in shows at 9:28pm meaning he can leave the checkpoint at 5:28am Tuesday.

Holmes still commands lead into Eagle Island

As the sun rose over the Yukon River Monday morning, Jessie Holmes and team were seen trotting into the Eagle Island return checkpoint. The musher quickly went to work replenishing his supplies from his drop bags, grabbing straw and heet, and heading out around 9am. There's no more guessing over where the leader will be taking his mandatory 8. As he originally planned, Jessie will stop and rest in Kaltag2, the final checkpoint available for mushers to take their mandatory. 

Holmes hasn't had the perfect run leading up to this decision. As snow continued to fall Sunday the trail became slow and punchy. Teams slowed 1-2 mph from the speeds they've averaged so far. On Jessie's return on the loop, the veteran musher took an extra rest on the trail between checkpoints allowing the chase pack of Matt Hall and Paige Drobny to catch up a bit. Both Hall and Drobny have taken their mandatory 8.

Holmes admitted to Insider in Eagle Island that he was now feeling "pushed" by those behind him. This may play a factor into how the third leg goes for Jessie. We've seen him in past races start racing other teams and allowing their decisions effect his, and that is something he will have to be aware of as he continues to lead this race.

The back of the pack are all making their way to Eagle Island with most of them into the checkpoint with only Sydnie Bahl and Quince Mountain still to get to the checkpoint. Mountain has roughly 50 miles to Eagle Island (by the GPS) and is solidly our red lantern. It was good to see him continue as he is several hours behind the back of the pack group of rookies.

Your *unofficial* top ten (using the GPS tracker) currently are:

Jessie Holmes
Matt Hall
Paige Drobny
Mitch Seavey
Mille Porsild
Michelle Phillips
Nicolas Petit
Travis Beals
Ryan Redington
Bailey Vitello

Of the top ten, Mitch and Nic still need to take their 8. Redington and Vitello are on their way to Grayling the rest are inbetween Grayling and Eagle Island (except of course Jessie).

Holmes, Drobny, and Hall on their way to Grayling

We are about to hit the unofficial halfway point of Iditarod 53. The lead pack have fully entered the "loop" part of this year's trail and are closing in on the checkpoint of Grayling. Holmes and Drobny played leapfrog several times throughout Saturday but are now firmly planted in first and second respectively. 

Paige Drobny had a strong run Friday night into Saturday morning and chose to rest for over five hours in Eagle Island before leaving Saturday afternoon for Grayling. Holmes, who was first into Eagle Island, chose to spend just minutes in the checkpoint gathering supplies before heading back out on the trail. The musher drove his team for another two and a half hours or so before camping on the trail for most of Saturday afternoon, pulling the snowhook around a similar time as Drobny left Eagle Island.

Matt Hall is in a lone chase pack of sorts as he sat in Eagle Island for another hour and change before following Paige out of the checkpoint. Currently Holmes is 16 miles to Grayling and holding a 9 mile (or one hour-ish) lead over Drobny who has a thirteen mile lead over Hall (one and a half ish hours). Michelle Phillips just left Eagle Island and is about 11 miles behind Hall.

The next chase pack is currently led by Ryan Redington, who rounded out the top five into Eagle Island Saturday. Mitch Seavey and Mille Porsild came in nearly together with the elder musher coming in just ahead of one of Iditarod's leading ladies. More recently Travis Beals, Nicolas Petit, and Riley Dyche rounded out Eagle Island's top ten. More teams are on their way so the volunteers of Iditarod's most remote checkpoint are about to get very busy (but I hear beef stroganoff is on tonight's menu).

The trail report coming from those who made it to Eagle Island were harrowing. Sean Underwood of Iditarod Insider reported that Ryan Redington said that this was the hardest Iditarod he's ever run. Bruce Lee of Iditarod Insider reported that Paige Drobny told him Saturday morning that the run from Kaltag to Eagle Island was in the top ten worst trails she's ever run. 

Trail reports are that of overflow as well as a trail that has set up extremely hard where the trailbreakers went through. That's normally a good thing, but the trail breakers drove over the overflow when it was... well... overflow. That trail has now hardened and there are post holes and ski ruts that are essentially throwing sleds all over the place. Mushers told war stories to each other of being thrown all over the trail, dumping sleds, and coming up battered and bruised.

The back of the pack are making their way to Nulato having taken their 24s. Red Lantern Quince Mountain passed many of them in the wee hours of Saturday and found himself in Nulato around 2:20pm, Mountain has taken many long rests whenever he stops so it's anyone's guess if he's planning to push further into the race before 24ing or if Nulato will be home for him until Sunday afternoon. Mileage wise Mountain is no longer the Red Lantern (for the next hour or so anyway), however he is the last of the back of the pack to take his 24 so hours wise he's still mathmatically the Red Lantern.

No more scratches have been reported after the wave of them yesterday, however KTUU reported the preliminary necropsy results gave no answer as to why Dan Kleins dog Ventana passed away. They did report that the initial exam post mortem revealed the dog was pregnant but there was no information as to how far along into the pregnancy the dog was or if it was known that she was pregnant. A full necropsy takes time, last year final results were not given for the three expired dogs until fall.

Reminder: Most of the US SPRINGS FORWARD an hour Sunday morning, so keep that in mind when you see in and out times and calculate rests. Alaska participates in Daylight Saving Time.

Paige Drobny takes the lead in Iditarod

Paige Drobny came off of her 24 hour rest and took charge of the trail Friday morning, leaving Galena around 6:55am. Drobny stayed just 9 minutes in the checkpoint of Kaltag 1, long enough to grab supplies and straw before continuing down the trail.

Drobny is the first of the front runners to leave Kaltag, with Jessie Holmes still on his 24 and not set to leave until very early Saturday morning. Matt Hall is also off of his 24 in Galena and should be pulling into Kaltag soon. Nicolas Petit is also on his 24 in Kaltag and is a wildcard for the race, he should leave roughly eight hours after Holmes.

Rookie of the Year front runner Emily Ford is currently sitting in Kaltag having had a fantastic run to the checkpoint Friday. The musher told insider she plans to 24 here. Sam LaLonde, currently the second highest ranked rookie in this year's Iditarod is currently 24ing in Nulato.

Michelle Phillips and Ryan Redington have come off their 24 in Nulato and are on their way to Kaltag, while Seavey and Beals remain on their 24 in the checkpoint. 

The next leg of the race is the loop where mushers will run their team from Kaltag to Eagle Island to Grayling to Shageluk then to Anvik before returning to Grayling then Eagle Island and finally Kaltag. This is what we may call the second leg of the race as this is where teams must take their 8 hour mandatory rest. Expect teams who 24ed in Galena to rest sooner on "the loop" than those who are coming off their 24 in Nulato and Kaltag (though someone will no doubt not follow that "rule" and do something completely off the norm).

The back of the pack looks very different tonight with the number of scratches that happened today. Quince Mountain is firmly the Red Lantern at the moment, but the musher seems to have struggled a bit Friday and is falling off the pace he held earlier in the race. With fewer teams on a similar schedule still in the race, it will make it harder for Quince to keep up with the teams in front of him. While it's uncertain just how a team is considered "non competitive" and pulled from the race, it does typically happen if a musher falls too far behind and the race cannot keep personnel and checkpoints open indefnitely. We may not yet be at that point, but it is giving fans cause for concern for one of the favorite rookies in this year's race.

On just a general note, as fans are getting excited about a woman leading the Iditarod, it will be 40 years later this month that Libby Riddles was the first woman ever to win the Iditarod. The last woman to win was Susan Butcher in 1990. It's been 35 years since the age old saying of "Alaska: Where men are men and women win the Iditarod" rang true. No real reason to bring that up, just throwing it out there.

Hopefully fans enjoyed their "day off" as most teams took their 24. They will continue to do so for most of the Alaska night (except for the ones listed above, well, most of them) so fans should really take this as the final opportunity to get any real sleep. The race is on come Saturday.

Holmes out of Nulato, Phillips stays

Jessie Holmes was first into the checkpoint of Nulato Thursday night. The musher chose to grab a bale of straw and a couple of items before heading back down the trail. The assumption is the musher will take his 24 in Kaltag, which is next up for the musher. It's puzzling if he's taking straw and planning to 24 in Kaltag if the straw is just a ruse for those following behind, or if he's actually planning to go further into the race before 24ing.

This year the race is requiring teams to take a mandatory 8 rest on the "loop" part of the trail from Kaltag to Kaltag. If Holmes decides to not stay in Kaltag outbound checkpoint he could go to the very remote Eagle Island or Grayling to 24, and then he would most likely do his 8 on Kaltag inbound. This is all conjecture and it's no doubt what the mushers jockeying for position are trying to figure out. (there are other checkpoints, too, but if we try to stay with more tradition strategy of second leg racing...)

Michelle Phillips was close behind Holmes, coming into the checkpoint before Jessie had fully left. The livefeed went down as Phillips was coming in and it was speculated that she had also blown through the checkpoint, but her GPS tracker still has her INTO Nulato. It could be Phillips plans to take her 24 here before continuing on to the "second leg".

Further back is the chase pack of Mitch Seavey who spent 3.5 hours in Galena contemplating if he would 24 earlier than planned or if he would continue with his "plan A". Seavey told Insider in a rare interview for Iditarod 53 that plan A has him 24ing in Nulato. After assessing his team, the three-time Iditarod champion took off down the trail.

Travis Beals followed close behind, with Insider's Sean Underwood reporting that Travis had told him he was going to 24 here, but changed his plans. It's anyone's guess if Beals is feeling the pressure to not let Holmes, Phillips, and Seavey get too far ahead of him, or if he - like Seavey - reevaluated his team during his break. Beals spent a much longer time resting in the checkpoint and may overtake Mitch before reaching Nulato.

Nicolas Petit rounds out the top five currently on the GPS tracker. No one ever knows to expect from Nic except to expect nothing. So... not much commentary here (other than every time his team is on camera fans comment on how leggy his team is).

Matt Hall is still in Galena and at this point we can safely assume he is taking his 24.

At the back of the Pack, Deeter has picked off a few more teams after resting through the heat of the day on the trail. Quince Mountain, current Red Lantern, is also on the move again and closing in on the resting Mike Parker with the Northern Whites. Matt Failor is also resting on the trail just a little further up from Parker. 

Current top Rookie (which for Iditarod only "true"/first year rookies are eligible for rookie of the year) is still Emily Ford running with the Shameless Huskies kennel. The team is currently running in 13th place. 

Tomorrow may be the day for fans to nap, we seem to be headed into the 24 hour resting period for the race. It's all up in the air, but at somepoint teams will run out of trail where it makes sense to take the "reset" rest.

Drobny, Hall declare their 24 - Holmes first out of Galena

Another busy night on the Iditarod trail as the front runners of Iditarod 53 made their way to the checkpoint of Galena. Paige Drobny was first in around 6:40am Thursday, followed by Matt Hall about two and a half hours later. Both teams declared their 24 with fans and analysts alike hedging bets on if one or both decided to cut and run after a few hours.

About 20-30mins later Jessie Holmes and Michelle Phillips made their way into Galena with Jessie Holmes deciding to grab some gear and straw and head down the trail. With the straw bale firmly secure to the back of his sled suggesting the musher will camp somewhere on the run from Ruby to Nulato. According to Insider Bruce Lee, Jessie Holmes has hinted that he plans to take his 24 in Kaltag.

It should be noted that unlike a normal Iditarod year, this year's race will not see the first Mandatory 8 taken until Kaltag as the 8 hours must be taken on the Kaltag loop. Right now teams are jockeying for placement for making it to where they hope to take their 24s.

After yesterday's news that Jeff Deeter was contemplating scratching, the musher did take his 24 hour mandatory rest to reassess. In an interview with Insider the musher said that in talking with Dallas Seavey who was visiting the checkpoint Seavey asked him why was [Jeff] out there running Iditarod, Jeff answered "to be challenged" - well, Seavey said, here's your challenge. What are you going to do with it? Deeter left Tanana around 5am Thursday and is currently on his way to Ruby.

The back of the pack currently has Charmayne Morrison resting in Tanana, Quince Mountain is resting on the trail as the next to last team. Morrison may be on her 24 or we may be seeing another team in "trouble" and contemplating scratching. Mountain had planned to take the first couple of days a little slower to get the team into rhythm, however with the trail conditions of sugar snow - the further back the teams are, the worse the trail conditions are... which means even slower going and more potential for sore muscles and joints for the teams.

We're getting to the heat of the day in Alaska so look for teams to start shutting down for their 4-5 hour rests while it's warm to give the dogs a chance to cool down and stretch out.

Iditarod 53 top ten (and change)

It's safe to say we are fully into a new chapter of Iditarod. The torch was fully passed several years ago and a new wave of mushers have fully cemented themselves in the top class. Perhaps it's because we're down to smaller rosters than in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and teens. Perhaps it is because the "legends" have mostly moved on allowing the next generation to create their own legends. Whatever the case, more and more the "up and comers" from just a few years ago are the "favorites to win". It's a bittersweet love to see it. That being said, there are a lot of familiar faces on this year's top ten (and change) list.

We have two Iditarod Champions coming back for another go. One won just two years ago, the other last won in 2017 and has been away from the race since 2022. One is considered to be in the "prime age range" for an Iditarod musher, the other currently holds the title of oldest champ AND is the oldest musher in this year's field. Both have ties to the Iditarod's beginnings. Legacy mushers if you will, but ones who have created legacy in their own right.

While one might think they have the advantage (and in many ways they do) with this year's last minute reroute announcement on a trail that is showing currently as being over 1100 miles long it's given everyone a little more equal footing. The drop bags had been planned for the Southern Route, not 600+ miles of river running where miles between checkpoints can sometimes be further. The race says it will do its best to match drop bags with the new checkpoints, but it's still a guessing game as to strategy. Guessing who will adapt quickest is the name of the game.

So let's take a look/guess at who just might crack the 2025 top ten (without hopefully jinxing them). We will go alphabetically just to seem organized.

Jeff Deeter - Coming off of his Yukon Quest Alaska 550 win (his first race win ever), Deeter looks poised to contend for the champion title in this year's race. Jeff's steadily climbed the ranks since 2018 (his rookie year was 2008 but he took time off to build a home and kennel). Jeff's entire season has been focused on building a winning team for Iditarod this March. He came fourth last year in a very tight battle at the finish, choosing to hold back and make his move on the coast. It paid off. Deeter is serious about his chances this year.  

Jessie Holmes - The 2024 third place finisher in Iditarod is looking to build off of last year's near win with taking it all the way. Holmes championed the mushers' case to change the route after reports had many worried that the traditional route was not a good option. Jessie says the team he has this year is the team he's been building for. He's trained with this team all year off grid in the interior, choosing to focus on Iditarod this year and not many mid-distance races and the one he did enter (Copper Basin) he won! Holmes runs atop mountains (and films it) but won't have too many chances to test out those skills this year on the trail.

Matt Failor - While Matt has just a single top ten finish in his career history, he does know how to race on rivers. The 2019 Kuskokwim Champion just might be one of the teams that does very well on the new route. Failor is known for his care for his dogs as well as his sportsmanship on the trail (remember he's the one who got to gut a couple moose out on the trail a few years ago - and did it properly with very little experience). Consider Matt a wildcard in the race.

Matt Hall - Hall. Is. Serious. Coming second to Dallas Seavey last year may have lit a raging fire under the 2017 Yukon Quest (back when it was still 1000 miles, remember) champion. Matt decided to solely focus on the Iditarod this year. He started cross training doing marathons/cross country type running. He's been following an athlete diet. He's not gone out on any races (his wife did take their team out on the Copper Basin). He has said multiple times in interviews that he's going for one thing in this year's race. Matt Hall is focused, don't count him out.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle just won the Yukon Quest in Canada, which wasn't a total surprise, she kinda owns that race these days. Michelle's last Iditarod was in 2022. She got caught in the windstorm that thwarted many teams finishes, but managed to make it through to the finish and came 17th. There was a bit of a squabble over how she handled the storm with her team (may have bent or even broken a rule or two) but ultimately the race sided with her (after she appealed). She took time off from Iditarod, but has come back this year with a strong looking team. 

Mille Porsild - You'd be hardpressed to find a tougher woman in this field than Mille Porsild. Last Iditarod the woman ran most of the race during a bout of pancreatitis! Her race could have completely derailed -and nearly did in McGrath when she was forced to take her 24 to try and regain health before being allowed to continue. She placed an impressive 7th place under the circumstances. Mille just finished up the Yukon Quest in Canada coming in 4th place in a very competitive 450 mile race. This will be Porsild's sixth Iditarod, her lowest placement was 15th her rookie year, she's only finished out of the top 10 twice.

Mitch Seavey - The three-time Iditarod Champion is back on the runners after taking some time away. In that time he watched his son Dallas win an historic sixth Iditarod (just last year) with some of the dogs from Mitch's kennel. But we aren't talking about Dallas, we're talking about Da Man Seavey. He's the record holder for oldest Champion as well as fastest finish time (2017). A man of few words, Mitch's bio on the Iditarod website simply reads that he is running the Iditarod "because it is hard." A few years back Mitch said he would only run the Iditarod until he felt he was no longer competitive. Expect him to race for a top placement.

Paige Drobny - Paige and her team of disco dogs (IYKYK) also known as The Squids surprised everyone, including maybe even the musher, as they came from behind and picked off many of the top teams. Paige had planned to run a relaxed and fun race with her team of younger dogs. It was about experience and not just pushing for a top placement. But as the race ran on Paige realized her team was ready for more. She placed fifth place right behind Jeff Deeter. Paige was a last minute entry for this year's Iditarod and it was after she and husband Cody realized just how special a team they had. Cody took the team to the Kusko (his first time there) and came third just 32 minutes after the winner. They just might be right about this team's speacialness.

Riley Dyche - Full disclosure, it was pointed out that the race preview for the Kusko was not fair to Riley. And Riley proved that right when he nearly ran away with the race in Bethel. Riley ended up just minutes behind Pete Kaiser and was incredibly candid about the "mistake" that cost him the win. Riley is very much a dark horse just because he has chosen to stay off social media, so unless one is within the inner circles of mushing it is quite easy to count him out. Let's not make that mistake again. He took last year off to work on his home and kennel and took this season to solidify his seat at the table.

Ryan Redington - The 2023 Iditarod champion had something to prove (in his mind) when he won. The grandson of Joe Redington Sr. - the Father and Founder of the Iditarod - was well aware that a Redington had yet to win Joe's race. Ryan had really hoped the 50th running of the Iditarod would be THE year, but it was the 51st running that he took home the title. Ryan has taken it a little easy this year choosing to allow handlers to have a little more fun while he sat back with some of his younger dogs. Now it's Ryan's turn to take the top dogs of his kennel out on the trail. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to start of fast as he typically does, or if he holds back considering the extra 150ish miles this year's route has added to the trail.

Travis Beals - In 2024 the new dad was in a place he'd never been previously: leading the Iditarod. While Travis had a solid race plan, he started to improvise to protect his lead, and it was just a little too soon for the sort of move he tried. In trying to keep space between him and the chase pack, he neared burn out. The musher realized the mistake and course corrected for preserving his team and not trying to push through it (top it off he injured his eye which he dealt with for the final third of the race). He finished 6th and mentioned in post interviews it was a huge learning curve. Travis is a good study of Iditarod strategy and no doubt will take the lessons of 2024 into 2025. 

You'll note the top 10 is really a top 11. Right now the Iditarod feels a lot like the 70s and early 80s of the race where the race was top heavy with excellent teams all poised to take the top spot. It comes down to skill, planning, as well as the breeding and training programs of the dogs. There are other teams that are wildcards and could play spoilers to get into the top 10 and mix things up. Perrenial fan favorite Nicolas Petit chose to spend the winter training in Eureka, running only the Kusko saying he needed to try something different to prepare for Iditarod. Rookie Jenny Roddewig is a second-generation musher who spent most of her life dreaming of Iditarod, she's a seasoned competitor with several wins in mid-distance races under her belt (blogger note: when she signed up on opening day there were a LOT of people, mushers and officials, excited to see her there) she's looking like she'll be in the running for Rookie of the Year. Many will be looking at Jason Mackey or Brenda Mackey to be the next great musher out of the legendary Mackey family - Brenda of course is focused on finishing what she started in 2021 and getting her belt buckle, Jason is hoping to find that magic carpet ride his father and older brothers experienced. 

There's an argument to be made for just about every team on the roster this year to make the top ten.

With so much river running it will be up to the mushers to keep their teams focused. A lot of similar scenery is tough on all living being's psyche, and if there's wind, they'll feel like it's a wind tunnel (dogs hate the wind in their face, so this blogger's been told). It's been suggested that teams that carry dogs (Seavey and Beals will be the teams most likely planning this strategy, not confirmed) the resting dogs while on the trail in the sled bag was a strategy Jeff King initially tried, and Dallas Seavey perfected it (Mitch learned some of those tricks, too). It's a controversial strategy as some mushers feel that it's not in the spirit of the race which is to run with your team not rest half of it while the others pull. Still, it's not against the rules and it's a musher's choice whether or not to use the strategy to their advantage.

With just eight days until the Ceremonial Start, fans have a lot of time to think and rethink their Fantasy Teams, and hopefully this top ten and change can help the choices being made... or maybe it'll just further confuse things. It's that most wonderful time of the year!

Who do you think will be in the top ten? Thoughts on who was overlooked? Is anyone overhyped? Comment with your thoughts below!

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).

Seavey continues to distance himself

Dallas Seavey is now twenty miles ahead of the chase duo of Jessie Holmes and Matt Hall. The five-time champion checked into Elim at 5:30 and spent only four minutes in the checkpoint. Seavey no doubt will stop and feed the dogs on the trail, but it's clear his plan to run straight through to White Mountain where an 8 hour mandatory rest awaits each team.

Jessie Holmes and Matt Hall are duking it out for second and both content with that idea. Holmes in Koyuk this morning told Insider he didn't expect to see Dallas again until White Mountain. Both Holmes and Hall have put up fast speeds on the leg to Elim and should be into the checkpoint soon.

Travis Beals is solidly in fourth and his kennel partner and wife Sarah Stokey reports that he is happy with where he is and that he wants to maintain the gap between his team and the chase pack. That pack is currently being led by Paige Drobny and Jeff Deeter who left Koyuk in the late afternoon. The rest of the top ten sit in Koyuk having just arrived in the last hour and a half and all have elected to stay in the checkpoint.

This afternoon another team chose to end their race early in Unalakleet. 21-time finisher Aaron Burmeister chose to scratch to preserve the mental health and wellness of his team and for the future. This brings the total number of scratches to six, two more than the total number of scratches from last year's race.

Seavey's lead grows as he blows through Koyuk

While it's still nearly two hundred miles to go, so very premature to call the race now, it looks like Dallas Seavey is on his way to making history again this year. While some may roll their eyes and grumble about him winning again, there's still a lot that can happen to stop that from happening in Iditarod 52. 

Dallas pulled into Koyuk officially at 7:11am and immediately got to work opening up drop bags and packing his batsled. Seavey informed the crew in the checkpoint he was not going to stay but keep going towards Elim. He grabbed straw and attached it to his sled. He moved quickly and decidedly, and at 7:23am he was off again heading toward the shelter cabin fifteen-ish miles up the trail where it is believed he will camp for a time before going through Elim and on to White Mountain and his final 8 hour mandatory rest. 

Dallas gained at least another half hour on Jessie Holmes in this run across the sea ice. Holmes is running barely a mile ahead of Matt Hall on the Norton Sound and should be into Koyuk by 9am. It's anyone's guess if either will stay or go. If they stay, Dallas' lead will continue to grow. If they go through we may very well have ourselves a dog race to the finishline.

The chase pack is into Shaktoolik and out on the Norton Sound. Lots of leap frogging which makes for an exciting race for the top twenty positions (especially the top ten)!

In sadder news, fan favorite Hunter Keefe has scratched in Unalakleet according to a statement released by Iditarod early Monday morning. Keefe scratched pursuant to rule 42 (expired dog). This is the second rule 42 scratch in Iditarod 52. Keefe was on his way to having another close to top ten finish in the Iditarod and had 10 dogs in harness when he scratched. 

Seavey makes a move

In an interesting turn of events Dallas Seavey has "cut rest" and headed back out on the trail after spending just two hours and twenty-five minutes out on the trail. The Five Time Champion has banked more time than the other front runners in part due to his two hour penalty added on to his 24 hour mandatory rest. However, Dallas and his team of fifteen dogs seemed to hit the Yukon and kick into a gear many didn't expect - at least, not realistically.

Dallas pulled the hook at 9:01pm and left Kaltag after sending three dogs home. The musher had thought about leaving them with the volunteers in Nulato, but chose to keep them in the team for the run to Kaltag, however now speed matters and the fewer dogs he has the more efficient he will be when he takes breaks out on the trail and in checkpoints.

As Dallas was pulling out of the checkpoint, Jessie Holmes was readying his team to do the same. Jessie pulled the hook forty-six minutes after Dallas and gave chase. Matt Hall also pulled the hook and left just two minutes after Holmes. 

At last glance at the GPS tracker, Travis Beals is still resting at the shelter cabin 13 miles outside of Kaltag. It's anyone's guess when he will decide to pack up and head to Unalakleet, whether he knows Dallas and Jessie and Matt are all on their way. The race to the coast looks to be a close one.

Dallas packed straw in his sled, expect the champion to camp before Unalakleet as is his habit.

It's too quiet

Kaltag got busy this afternoon as first Travis Beals and then Jessie Holmes were followed by Paige Drobny, Matt Hall, Ryan Redington, and Dallas Seavey into the checkpoint. Only Beals chose to cut and run after a quick stop to grab supplies. Beals went 13 miles up the trail and camped. 

That was this afternoon, the sun has now set and no one is moving. It seems the front runners are all still trying to preserve as much energy as possible from their teams. Dallas Seavey who was two hours behind his schedule due to a penalty given at his 24hour mandatory seemed just a day ago to not be in the running to challenge Beals, and now he's acting as though he might be the first of the chase pack to leave Kaltag. 

In the back of the race the final two teams are running into Ruby and then everyone but Beals will be on the Yukon. Beals, of course, left the river and is now on his way to Unalakleet (or will be once he stops camping).

This race is far from being determined. All of the teams resting in Kaltag (and the one camping) look phenomenal. This may be one of those races that isn't declared until the teams run up Front Street in Nome. 

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).

Matt Hall takes Yukon Quest Alaska 300 title

From start to finish, Matt Hall's team from Smokin' Aces Kennel dominated the trail. The musher from Eagle, Alaska, took the lead early Saturday and never truly relinquished it.

Fans of the race quickly lamented that Hall's team was looking so strong that they should have run the 550. Hall had planned originally to run the longer race, but due to a trail change announcement in January due to poor trail conditions, the trail for the 550 would now pass by the Smokin' Aces kennel three times and Hall did not want to confuse his team with that many drivebys. Opting to run the 300 made Matt the odds on favorite from the onset.

Hall and team finished their race at 4:17pm as the sun was setting over Central, Alaska. His frosty faced team of nine dogs were still tight on the line and eager for their snacks. 

Though Matt Hall had a clear lead, there were some exciting moments watching Isaac Teaford, running a team from Dallas Seavey's racing kennel, eat up some miles on the champion team. Teaford came into the finish with his team (and a very icy beard) 55 minutes behind Hall.

For the 550, Brent Sass has a comfortable lead and is the only one in and out of Central on the way back. He rested at least four hours on the trail before the checkpoint as is his norm (he would rather rest on the trail than in a checkpoint). Nicolas Petit is working on challenging the reigning champion, but his strategy of resting in the checkpoints has kept him with a significant disadvantage timing wise. At present Sass has at least a four hour lead on Petit.

The 300 teams will continue to finish throughout the night, and we're still at least a couple days from a finish for the 550.

Petit and Sass race to the finish

The front runners for the Copper Basin 300 are in the home stretch. With just about 8 miles to go, Nicolas Petit looks to clinch the title once again as champion of the CB300. Brent Sass is a solid two miles behind the Big Lake musher, and is quickly running out of time to catch up much less pass. 

Petit took a moment from the runners this morning as he left the last checkpoint in Chistochina to send out a quick message reading simply, "Turned on the afterburners." For a musher who just last weekend conceded his time may have come to an end of being champion of mid-distance races, it seems his prediction was premature.

Or was it a prediction? Nic is known to enjoy playing mental games with his competitors (and tease his fans) and it appears that is exactly what he was trying to do after his third place finish in the Knik 200.

Seventeen miles behind Nic are Jessie Holmes and Matt Hall. Hall is down to eight dogs, Jessie has nine but also has the speed. Their trackers are not consistently pinging so it's difficult to tell who is actually ahead of the other at this point. 

Look for the finishers to begin arriving close to Noon Alaska time.

We're not done yet

We have the majority of teams across the finish line in Deshka, but we're far from finished. Twelve teams are still on the trail this evening, with only four teams out of Skwentna at the moment. Next in should be Travis Beals who had to change plans drastically after accidently taking a long run early in the race (his run into Iditarod should've been broken up and he told the Insider he didn't even know why he didn't stop, that it was a big mistake). He slowed his team and gave them more rest, but then again had to change course when running out of Nikolai S he realized his dogs were not going to enjoy the run and he turned back to the checkpoint to rest longer.

Behind Travis is four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser. Buser was one of the front runners in the first couple of days of the race, but by Nikolai N his team was running at only about 60% and it left thier musher "perplexed" as he could not figure out what the issue was. Martin left out of Skwentna a half hour late because he forgot to spring forward on Sunday morning and was "just hanging out" until a volunteer pointed to the correct time. Whoops! 

Following Mr. Buser is Matt Hall who is running very close to Buser. The 2017 Yukon Quest Champion has been just running a race - I believe with young dogs who may have also just gotten overwhelmed? - and having a good time. He may be able to catch and pass Buser before getting to Deshka.

While the rookie of the year came in earlier today (between the Berington Twins at that!) our second rookie should be in sometime tonight or early morning when Joshua McNeal crosses the finish line. McNeal had a pretty good first Iditarod with a team of very young dogs, and told Insider today that there were a few times on the trail he thought he was in over his head a bit (the head on passing on his way to the checkpoint of Iditarod being one of them) but he's already looking towards the future and more Iditarods (though he said probably not next year). 

There are three teams currently in Skwentna, all rookies. Sean Underwood, the rookie from last year who had to be rescued by black hawk after getting caught with two other teams in massive overflow on the coast - is in Skwentna and can leave at 3:33am Wednesday morning. Underwood is running dogs out of Dallas Seavey's kennel (the puppy team!) and has done very well. It will be a great moment to see him come in and get his belt buckle! He's more than earned it.

Five teams still need to make it into Skwentna, and they're all at Finger Lake or closer. We're probably still on schedule to have this race finished out by sometime Thursday (I'm not ready, but my dog sure is. He's tired of not having all my attention). 

This has been such a different race and yet so exciting. While we didn't have the ability to send out Mushergrams this year, you can and should still send messages through social media. And I have you covered with my Iditarod Roster social media account links!