The Living Horse Hall of Fame nominating committee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame has announced the results of recent balloting to determine the 2018 inductees into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame.
Annual members voted for the two horses they felt best exemplified greatness. Their choices are stallions Cantab Hall and Western Ideal. The other nominees were Chapter Seven, Mister Big and Presidential Ball.
Cantab Hall and Western Ideal will be inducted on Hall of Fame Day, Sunday (July 1). The ceremonies honoring these extraordinary Standardbred horses will take place during the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. For information on the Hall of Fame weekend and other festivities surrounding this important occasion visit harnessmuseum.com from April 2018 onward or call or write the Museum at 240 Main Street, Goshen, N.Y. 10924. Phone: 845.294.6330.
Standardbreds are only eligible for nomination to harness racing’s highest accolade if they comply with the following strict criteria:
► they must be retired from racing for five years and had a drug-free career
► racehorses must have won 75 percent of their lifetime starts, or gone undefeated in a single season campaign of 12 or more races, or been the winner of $3 million lifetime or named Harness Horse of the Year (U.S. and/or Canada).
► stallions must rank among the 10 all-time leading money-winning sires at their gait or have sired at least 100 $200,000 winners or been a leading money-winning sire at his gait in three or more seasons.
Broodmares are no longer automatically elected.
CANTAB HALL
(Nominated as Stallion)
3,1:54 ($1,524,305) Bay Horse, 2001
(Self Possessed – Canland Hall – Garland Lobell)
As a two-year-old in 2003, Cantab Hall won all 10 of his starts, earning $461,337, and was voted Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year and Trotter of the Year. Major victories included the Breeders Crown, American-National Stake, International Stallion Stakes and the Bluegrass. In his sophomore season, Cantab Hall finished on the board in 11 of 13 starts while earning more than $1 million. His major victory came in his second American-National win.
As a stallion, Cantab Hall was the leading sire at his gait for three consecutive years (2012-2014), as well as in 2016 and 2017. He has sired winners of over $73 million to date, including eight millionaires, with 204 $100,000 winners and 138 in 1:55. His most successful offspring include 2013 Dan Patch and O’Brien Two-Year-Old and 2014 Dan Patch 3-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, world champion Father Patrick, winner of the 2013 Breeders Crown, Wellwood Memorial and Peter Haughton Memorial, and the 2014 Canadian Trotting Classic, Breeders Crown, Beal Memorial, Zweig Memorial and Stanley Dancer Memorial; world champion Wild Honey, winner of the 2015 Breeders Crown, Hambletonian Oaks, PA Sire Stakes final and Kentucky Filly Futurity; and world champion Explosive Matter, winner of the 2008 Matron Stakes and the 2009 Colonial and Bluegrass Stakes.
As a broodmare sire, Cantab Hall has sired the dams of winners of over $15 million to date, with two millionaires, Dan Patch and O’Brien Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year and world champion, Southwind Frank, winner of the 2015 Breeders Crown, Peter Haughton Memorial and William Wellwood Memorial, and the 2016 Colonial and Earl Beal Jr. Memorial; and 2016 Dan Patch and O’Brien Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Ariana G, winner of the 2016 and 2017 Breeders Crown and 2017 Hambletonian Oaks.
WESTERN IDEAL
(Nominated as Stallion)
p,5,1:48 ($1,455,422) Bay Horse, 1995
(Western Hanover – Leah Almahurst – Abercrombie)
World champion pacer Western Ideal raced in 1997, 1999 and 2000. As a five-year-old in 2000, Western Ideal had his career season, winning the Breeders Crown, William R. Haughton Memorial, Canadian Pacing Derby and the Graduate Series. In his Breeders Crown victory, Western Ideal set a new world record 1:48 for five-year-old and older Standardbreds on a mile track. He was voted 2000 Dan Patch Older Pacing Horse of the Year.
As a stallion, Western Ideal has sired winners of over $121 million, with 187 $200,000 winners and 12 millionaires to date. They include 2005 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame Immortal Rocknroll Hanover; 2009 Adios winner and world champion Vintage Master; 2010 Matron Stakes winner and world champion Krispy Apple; 2005 Woodrow Wilson winner Western Ace; New Jersey Sire Stakes star Dial Or Nodial; 2014 Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year Artspeak; and 2010 Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and world champion Big Jim.
As a broodmare sire, Western Ideal has sired the dams of winners of over $54 million to date, with five millionaires: 2014 Dan Patch and O’Brien Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year, world champion McWicked; 2015 Canadian Pacing Derby winner, O’Brien Horse of the Year and world champion State Treasurer; 2010 Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year, 2011 Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year and world champion See You At Peelers; 2017 North America Cup winner Fear The Dragon; and 2015 O’Brien Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year Solar Sister.
(Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame)