Hanover Shoe Farms, the southern Pennsylvania harness racing breeding operation which has led all of North American harness racing in seasonal money won by its graduates since record keeping began in 1949, has just broken its own mark for single-year earnings.
The $31,451,117 total it posted in 2017 was eclipsed on Dec. 27 of last year, with the final number for 2018 reaching $31,589,496.
Dorsoduro Hanover, recently voted champion three-year-old pacing male of the season, led the contributors to the record total with $1,284,562. The 2017 Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover, making the difficult step up to the free-for-all ranks, brought in winnings of $661,601, the most money earned by any four-year-old in 2018 North American racing.
Dorsoduro Hanover's $1.2 million in seasonal earnings helped propel Hanover Shoe Farms to a new single-season earnings record for a breeder.
“The record-breaking 2018 racing year by Hanover Shoe Farm-bred racehorses shows our commitment to Mr. Sheppard’s vision of being the premier Standardbred farm,” said Jim Simpson, Hanover’s chairman. “I am proud to have been at the helm for 20 years, and to state that the new record tops all farms in the world breeding all types of racehorses. This accomplishment takes a dedicated staff, the best stallions and mares our commercial business can buy, and talented trainers, drivers and grooms working tirelessly. What drives this entire business are the owners who buy and race these horses. All of us at Hanover Shoe Farms give thanks for the owners willing to invest the money, time and effort to keep this business alive.”
Giving no signs of slowing down despite fronting its field into an eighth decade, Hanover has truly become synonymous with excellence in the harness racing industry, with the earnings record of 2018 just the latest proof in a list of accomplishments which continues on strongly.
(with files from Hanover Shoe Farms)