Bret Hanover
Encyclopedia
Bret Hanover was an outstanding American Standardbred racehorse. He was also one of only nine pacers to win harness racing's Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers
and achieved a fine career total of 62 wins from 68 starts. He was the only horse to have even been made Harness Horse of the Year
three times.
in Hanover, Pennsylvania
on May 19, 1962. Bret Hanover was by the leading sire Adios
and out of Brenna Hanover by Tar Heel, a Little Brown Jug
winner and a leading sire.
In his second season of racing, he had 24 starts for 21 wins, a 1:55 world record and Horse of the Year honours again.
In his last year of racing as four-year-old, he had 20 starts for 17 wins for a career total of 62 wins from 68 starts. He never placed worse than third. He was voted Harness Horse of the Year
in 1964, 1965 and 1966 by the US Trotting Association and the US Harness Writers Association. Bret Hanover was only ever beaten by three horses, Cardigan Bay
, Adios Vic and True Duane. He had great duels with Cardigan Bay, harness racing's first millionaire including the Pace of the Century
won by Cardigan Bay. Bret Hanover easily beat Cardigan Bay in the Revenge Pace, also set up by Yonkers Raceway
. Bret Hanover was one of only nine horses in history to win the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Bret Hanover was retired as the fastest Standardbred pacer.
for a record $1 million. He sired the winners of $64,380,702, including Little Brown Jug winners Melvin's Woe and Strike Out. He is remembered as one of the better broodmare sires.
After his death on November 21, 1992 Bret Hanover was originally buried at Castleton before his grave was moved to Lexington's Kentucky Horse Park
. The statue that had been erected for him at Castleton Farm today stands at his gravesite.
Numerous stories have been written about the horse, including the book "Big Bum, The Story of Bret Hanover". Bret Hanover bowed to the crowd after every win, his driver Frank Ervin got out of the sulky, and Bret then crossed his front legs and bent over as the crowd responded.
Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers
The Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers consists of the following horse races:#Cane Pace, held at Freehold Raceway in Freehold, New Jersey#Little Brown Jug, held at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio...
and achieved a fine career total of 62 wins from 68 starts. He was the only horse to have even been made Harness Horse of the Year
Harness Horse of the Year
The Harness Horse of the Year is an honor recognizing the top harness racing horse in the United States. The award is selected by the United States Trotting Association and the United States Harness Writers Association....
three times.
Breeding
He was foaled at Hanover Shoe FarmsHanover Shoe Farms
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. is a North American Standardbred horse breeding facilities. Its traces back to the early 1900s and continues into the present day....
in Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
on May 19, 1962. Bret Hanover was by the leading sire Adios
Adios (racehorse)
Adios was a champion harness racing sire.The son of Hal Dale and the mare Adioo Volo, the horse named Adios was born on January 3, 1940 at Two Gaits Farm, in Carmel, Indiana. Trained and driven by Frank Ervin and for a while owned by Harry Warner of Warner Bros. film studio, Adios was a multiple...
and out of Brenna Hanover by Tar Heel, a Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (horse racing)
The Little Brown Jug is a harness race for three-year-old pacing standardbreds hosted by the Delaware County Agricultural Society since 1946 at the County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. The race takes place every year on the third Thursday after Labor Day. Along with the Hambletonian, a race for...
winner and a leading sire.
Racing career
Trained and driven by Frank Ervin in his 1964 debut season in racing, two-year-old Bret Hanover was undefeated, winning all 24 races he entered and would continue undefeated for 35 races. Bret Hanover then became the first two-year-old ever to be awarded the honour of USTA Horse of the Year.In his second season of racing, he had 24 starts for 21 wins, a 1:55 world record and Horse of the Year honours again.
In his last year of racing as four-year-old, he had 20 starts for 17 wins for a career total of 62 wins from 68 starts. He never placed worse than third. He was voted Harness Horse of the Year
Harness Horse of the Year
The Harness Horse of the Year is an honor recognizing the top harness racing horse in the United States. The award is selected by the United States Trotting Association and the United States Harness Writers Association....
in 1964, 1965 and 1966 by the US Trotting Association and the US Harness Writers Association. Bret Hanover was only ever beaten by three horses, Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay (horse)
Cardigan Bay was a New Zealand Harness racing horse foaled 1 September 1956. Affectionately known as "Cardy", he was the first Standardbred to win US$1 million in prize money in North America. He was the ninth horse worldwide to win one million dollars,...
, Adios Vic and True Duane. He had great duels with Cardigan Bay, harness racing's first millionaire including the Pace of the Century
Pace of the Century
The Pace of the Century was a match race between two of the greatest ever standardbred harness horses, namely Bret Hanover and Cardigan Bay. It was lucky indeed that these two were racing at exactly the same period, as these were possibly the only two capable of beating each other...
won by Cardigan Bay. Bret Hanover easily beat Cardigan Bay in the Revenge Pace, also set up by Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border...
. Bret Hanover was one of only nine horses in history to win the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Bret Hanover was retired as the fastest Standardbred pacer.
Stud record
Bret Hanover sold to Castleton Farm in Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
for a record $1 million. He sired the winners of $64,380,702, including Little Brown Jug winners Melvin's Woe and Strike Out. He is remembered as one of the better broodmare sires.
After his death on November 21, 1992 Bret Hanover was originally buried at Castleton before his grave was moved to Lexington's Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm and an educational theme park opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located off Kentucky State Highway 1973 and Interstate 75 in northern Fayette County in the United States...
. The statue that had been erected for him at Castleton Farm today stands at his gravesite.
Numerous stories have been written about the horse, including the book "Big Bum, The Story of Bret Hanover". Bret Hanover bowed to the crowd after every win, his driver Frank Ervin got out of the sulky, and Bret then crossed his front legs and bent over as the crowd responded.
See also
For links to other harness horse information and biographies, see also:- Harness racing in the United StatesHarness racingHarness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
- Cardigan Bay (NZ)Cardigan Bay (horse)Cardigan Bay was a New Zealand Harness racing horse foaled 1 September 1956. Affectionately known as "Cardy", he was the first Standardbred to win US$1 million in prize money in North America. He was the ninth horse worldwide to win one million dollars,...