In a race that’s this close, everyone is looking for some significant sign to predict who’ll be the 40th Iditarod champion. Past recipients of the Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award are listed on the trophy. Consider this – in fifteen of the past 19 years, the first musher to make the Gold Coast has also been the first musher to the burled arch in Nome. Here are the exceptions. In ’93 Rick Mackey made the Gold Coast first but Jeff King was first to the arch in Nome. In ’04 Kjetel Backen was first into Unalakleet then Mitch Seavey claimed the championship. In ’07 and ’08 Jeff King collected the Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award then Lance Mackey collected the Dodge truck. It won’t be long before we’ll know if Iditarod XL will follow the trend.