In 1976, my dad bought his second broodmare, a Tar Heel matron by the name of Octavia Hanover , p, 2, 2:04.3f. Octavia had won the Arden Downs Stake as a two year old, but foundered later in the year, and was retired to the Hanover broodmare band. The bad fortune exhibited during her abbreviated racing career followed her, however, and she was sold to Rodney Farms as a barren young "prospect". My father bought her a few years later - "in foal" to Tropic Song - then learned about her breeding woes (in the process, we both learned something about the importance of research prior to investing). Remarkably, Octavia Hanover did produce a colt the next year, aptly named Miracle Boy, who was promptly purchased by Clint Galbraith and his Rodney Farms connections as a yearling in 1978.

Miracle Boy never did take a mark for Galbraith, and earned all of $12. It probably didn't matter much to Clint's stable that year, because one of Miracle Boy's stablemates was an Albatross colt by the name of Niatross!!

Octavia Hanover never did amount to much as a broodmare, as she had to be bred naturally, and there were no good studs around that offered natural cover. So, my dad retired her until she had to be put down due to laminitis. And with Octavia Hanover, my father's interest in breeding mares also passed.

Octavia was out of the Nibble Hanover mare, Onda Hanover, who produced the Adios duo of Drummond Hanover and Olympic Hanover - both 2:00 sires from limited opportunity. Onda Hanover also produced Adios Onda, who when bred to Tar Heel, gave us Carolonda. Carolonda has been the fountainhead of great performers, and provides us with the genesis of this month's BLOODlines.

Carolonda

From 1968 to 1988, Carolonda only missed producing a foal twice (1979 and 1983). Along the way, she produced 19 foals from six different sires. Of these, 13 were winners (eight in 2:00) - with combined earnings of over $400,000. Included among her progeny were Faraway Bay p, 2, 1:57.4 ($137,253), by Race Time ... and Ladies Man p, 4, 1:56.4h ($81,392), by Abercrombie. But it would be through a daughter of Carolonda, that a living legacy would be established.

Sandy's Sable

Sandy's Sable p, 2, 2:00.1 ($17,451) was foaled in 1974. A daughter of Race Time, this full sister to Faraway Bay won six and placed second in four of her 15 starts at two - her only year of racing. She was purchased by Hanover Shoe Farms in 1977, and promptly bred twice to both Albatross and Bret Hanover, then eight times to Tyler B. From the Tyler B. matings, Sandy's Sable produced the trio of Dragon's Lair p, 5, 1:51.3 ($1,085,317), sire of world record holder Stand Forever p, 4, 1:49.2h and Island Glow p, 5, 1:50 ... the crack filly Bruce's Lady p, 3, 1:53.3 ($772,607) ... and Cole Muffler p, 3, 1:53.3 ($682,380), who from his first crop in Illinois in 1996 produced the top colts Hot Chilli Pepper p, 2, 1:52.2 and Duncan Macleod p, 2, 1:52.4.

If Sandy's Sable had ended her contribution to harness racing with the exploits of these three individuals, she would have established herself as one of the great broodmares of the sport. But she hasn't. Instead, she is responsible for one of the hottest maternal branches in the sport today, with much of the credit going to the first daughter of Sandy's Sable - the Albatross mare Sable Hanover.

Sable Hanover

Sable Hanover p, 3, T 1:58.4 ($25,092) has produced 11 foals of racing age, five of which have been fillies. Nine of these offspring have taken sub-1:58 marks, and the group has amassed aggregate earnings of over $1.5 Million. Included among Sable Hanover's performers are such notables as: Sablevision p, 3, 1:53.1 ($379,777), by No Nukes ... Mattduff p, 3, 1:51.2 ($362,024), by Matts Scooter ... and Sabilize p, 1:55.4h ($355,056), a No Nukes lass.

As a 3-year-old, Sablevision had the misfortune of meeting up with Precious Bunny, Artsplace, Die Laughing among other noteables, and was multiple stakes-placed while being race-timed five times in 1:53 or faster. Mattduff was one of the top-rated 3-year-olds in North America in 1996, but could not overcome lameness which eventually culminated in a shattered left hind cannon bone just two weeks after he won a Messenger elimination. And Sabilize has been the stuff of legends Down Under, where she sported a lifetime summary of 54 starts, 31 wins and 14 times second, including two placings in the Miracle Mile.

It is worthy of note that negotiations are virtually complete - as of this writing - to move Mattduff to stud duties in Australia. There, he will join his siblings Sablevision and Sabilize.

Sable Hanover has also produced daughters who are making their impression on the sport. For instance, the Tyler B. mare Sable B p, 3, 1:58h ($55,010) has produced Sable Matters p, 3, 1:52.2 ($370,023) and Cape Matteras p, 2, 1:53.3, both by Matts Scooter.

Lady Hathaway

Then there has been the production of Lady Hathaway p, 2, 1:57.4 ($55,009), the No Nukes sister to Sabilize. From her first four foals, Lady Hathaway has given us four in 1:55.2, including last yearis leading money-winning 2-year-old His Mattjesty p, 2, 1:52.1 ($804,022) - winner of the Breeder's Crown among his nine wins and seven placings from 18 starts. As this is being written, His Mattjesty has drawn in against Red Bow Tie in an elimination for the North America Cup on June 14 at Woodbine Raceway.

Lady Hathaway has also produced the stakes winning filly Lady Mattingly p, 3, 1:53 ($107,615 in '96) and Matter Of Money p, 2, 1:55. And, last year's Presidential Ball colt from this 13-year-old No Nukes mare - Jefferson Stein - sold for $250,000, the highest priced pacing yearling in 1996.

From other branches of the line from Sandy's Sable, we find this year's season's leader Sanabelle Island p, 3, 1:53.3 ($200,000+) a great-granddaughter of Sandy's Sable (through the Bret Hanover mare Sandylu Hanover, then the Tyler B mare Sanbelle Hanover); Scooter Hanover p, 3, 1:52 ($137,991), a son of Sandbea Hanover (Tyler B.); Nuclear Legacy p, 3, 1:52 ($556,122), out of Sandia Hanover (Albatross); and many other very good performers.

Clearly, this is a family on the move. The stallions have produced exceedingly well ... as have the mares ... and there is no evidence to indicate that this pattern will change in the foreseeable future. For, if the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, you can look back beyond Carolonda ... to Adios Onda ... to Onda Hanover ... Ormonde Hanover ... Norma Hanover ... to Charlotte Hanover 3, T1:59 1/2 (1931), sister to Hanover's Bertha (1930 Hambletonian winner) ... to Miss Bertha Dillon 4, 2:02 1/2 in 1918 ... to Miss Bertha C., the founding mother of this family of great performers.

Miss Bertha C. was foaled in 1906, and only gave us four mares, all by Dillon Axworthy. But oh, what an impact they've had on the sport. And over ninety years later, champions are still springing up from the branches of the maternal tree. And they will for ninety more.

It was over twenty years ago that my father bought his second broodmare. I remember Octavia Hanover like it was yesterday. I remember dad saying "We can't all own the great-bred ones, but if you know your bloodlines you can travel on the coat-tails of the great breeders." With those words, I departed on what has become a life-long path of study in blood-lines.

I owe a great deal to my father. So many things which are outside the scope of this page are mine - thanks to him. And within the world of horses ... my love of the sport of light harness racing ... my respect for the importance of study and learning ... my sense of honesty and integrity ... these too have grown from seeds planted by my father.

Happy Father's Day, Ron.

Ralph.

Doug Brown - The Messenger

As you probably already know, Doug Brown was named the recipient of HTA's Messenger Award for 1997. It is customary for the "Messenger" to give a "state of the union" address to the annual HTA gathering, and Brown's was clear - that all the factions of the sport have to start pulling together in the same direction, if we are going to survive - let alone thrive - as a viable entity. Each year, Brown hosts the Doug Brown Celebrity Golf Tournament. This year, on June 15, the net proceeds from this charitable event will be donated to the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. The HHYF is doing what it can to educate the youth of North America regarding our great sport. It provides scholarships to outstanding students seeking careers in the sport ... supports one and two day youth camps at training centres and racetracks ... assists the development of 4-H programs and many other youth-related activities - all with the expressed goal of securing Harness Racing's future through the youth of today.   This year, I am priveleged - and somewhat daunted - to be organizing the Tournament. I have been working closely with HHYF representatives Ellen Taylor, Steven Wolf and Callie Davies-Gooch around the varied aspects of this gala event for a number of months, and we still have much to accomplish.

Perhaps you could help... The tournament is already a virtual sell-out, with respect to golfers. There will be 160 harness-related participants, including owners, trainers, drivers, breeders and grooms, each paying $200.00 to golf. Included among the golfers and guests will be John Campbell and wife Paula, Mr. and Mrs. Stan Bergstein, "Boomer" Gallant (making a special trip in from Prince Edward Island) and many others from around North America. Maybe you can help... The registration fee paid by the golfers covers the cost of golf, cart, and dinner, but little is left for the charity. You could help by assisting us with one or more of the following: Sponsoring a Hole ($200.00 minimum) - your name or company / stable name would be prominently placed as one of the sponsors for that hole. Prize Table Donations - we need prizes for each of the 160 golfers. Sweatshirts, coats, sweaters, hats etc. etc. can serve the dual purpose of promoting your company / stable, and cutting the cost of staging the event. In the end, the HHYF and our youth benefit.

Auction Items - last year's auction generated almost 1/2 of the $32,000 raised. Items could include limited edition prints, stallion breedings, autographed sports items (how ëbout a Tiger Woods signed driver ;-)), harness equipment, resort weekends etc. etc. Special Items - we need people willing to sponsor associated costs of such things as shirts ($1,500), hole-in-one prizes (insured amounts for the day), wine ($500.00), sandwich and soft drinks ($600) and many other "comp" items given to the golfers to make the day a special one for them, too. Again, sponsors' names will be prominently displayed, and charitable receipts issued for donations made. In the end, virtually any donation - whether of funds, goods or services - will translate to additional revenues targeted for the youth of our sport, and a secure future for Harness Racing. If you have any questions about the Doug Brown Celebrity Golf Tournament or the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, don't hesitate to e-mail me. I'll respond immediately. Thanks for doing what you can to assist us in our "Drive for the Youth of Harness Racing".

Ralph.
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