Hanover Shoe Farms, the fabled nursery located in south-central Pennsylvania, has been voted as the 2022 Dan Patch Breeder of the Year as voted by members of United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), the leading organization of harness racing communicators. Also to be honoured at the 2022 Dan Patch Awards Banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, are the Broodmares of the Year – pacer BJs Squall, owned by Hanover and dam of Bergstein Proximity Award winner Bulldog Hanover, and trotter Hot Mess Hanover, who as the name indicates was bred by Hanover.
Hanover has seen its farm produce the leading money-winners in every North American year of racing since records began to be kept in 1949. The year 2022 is no exception; in fact the day this release was written, Hanover rewrote its own single-season record for earnings by their graduates, with the figure at $35,224,861 USD and to grow a little before resting at the record to aim for in future years.
Hanover bred three Breeders Crown winners in 2022 – two-year-olds Gaines Hanover and Sylvia Hanover, along with Bulldog Hanover – tying it with Brittany Farms as the leading breeders of Breeders Crown race winners with 30 victories. The Free-For-All pacing division saw Hanover-breds occupy six spots in a consensus top dozen in the fast-class crew – Abuckabett Hanover, Allywag Hanover, Bulldog Hanover, Linedrive Hanover, Rockyroad Hanover and Ruthless Hanover (Allywag and Linedrive were the only two horses to win a race against Bulldog this season).
BJs Squall, a daughter of Artsplace-Lady Ashlee Ann bred by Joe and Joann Thomson, was purchased by Hanover in 2002, and the mare, to turn 25 on Jan. 1, hit the jackpot when mated with Shadow Play and produced her 14th foal, Bulldog Hanover. Usually a Broodmare candidate has more than one stakes performer in a year (and Blaise MM Hanover, a foal of BJs Squall, raced in 2022 and went over $500,000 in career earnings last year), but as the nominating committee noted, “We think the unique accomplishment of this one foal could give her consideration.” And the voters agreed.
Hot Mess Hanover, a daughter of Cantab Hall-Her Culese, was bred by Hanover and came to her current owner, Vestmarka AB of Sweden, in 2017. She was taken back across the Atlantic, which is why her top two foals have an “S” after their names, reflecting their heritage – the Breeders Crown-winning three-year-old trotting filly Jiggy Jog S, a candidate for divisional honours, and the two-year-old Wild Jiggy S, who won more than $100,000 in her maiden campaign. These are the only two foals of Hot Mess Hanover that have hit the racetrack.
The award winners will be recognized at the 2023 Dan Patch Awards Banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, which will honour the best of the best of harness racing, both human and equine. The evening culminates with the announcement of the E. Roland Harriman Harness Horse of the Year and will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida.
(USHWA)