What an interesting field of participants!
Speedy Crown, winner of the Hambletonian 1971 and one of the most influential Trotting Sires of all time.
Photo: Ed Keys, US Trotting Association
2020_08_08
$1 Million Hambletonian Final
Ready For Moni (Yannick Gingras)
M by Ready Cash (FR) – Nothing But Moni (US) – Credit Winner (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Volomite - Star´s Pride – Nevele Pride – Bonefish
Maternal Line: Nelly (by Mambrino Sterley) (US)
Back Of The Neck (Scott Zeron)
M by Ready Cash (FR) – Big Barb (US) – Andover Hall (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Volomite - Star´s Pride – Nevele Pride – Bonefish
Maternal Line: Molly Armstrong (US)
Hollywood Story (Tim Tetrick)
M by Muscle Hill (US) – Counter Pointe (US) – Striking Sahbra (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Lizzie Witherspoon (US)
Big Oil (Andy Miller)
M by Father Patrick (US) – Cee Bee Yes (US) – Muscles Yankee (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Sally Sovereign (US)
Ramona Hill (Andrew McCarthy)
F by Muscle Hill (US) – Lock Down Lindy (US) – Lucky Chucky (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Ida (by Hal Tom Jr) (US)
Threefiftytwo (Scott Zeron)
M by Royalty For Life (US) – Four Damsals (US) – Royal Excalibur (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Volomite - Star´s Pride – Super Bowl
Maternal Line: Medio (US)
Capricornus (Tim Tetrick)
M by Cantab Hall (US) – Oh My Darlin (US) – Glidemaster (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Medio (US)
Rome Pays Off (Mattias Melander)
M by Muscle Hill (US) – Order By Wish (US) – Cantab Hall (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Minnehaha (US)
Sister Sledge (Brian Sears)
F by Father Patrick (US) – Behindclosedoors (US) – Andover Hall (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Minnehaha (US)
Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn)
G by Father Patrick (US – Margarita Momma (US) – Yankee Glide (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Dolly (by Young Irvington) (NZ)
Conclusion:
Sires:
3 Father Patrick (US) by Cantab Hall
3 Muscle Hill (US) by Muscles Yankee
2 Ready Cash (FR) by Indy De Vive
1 Cantab Hall (US) by Self Possessed
1 Royalty For Life (US) by RC Royalty
After less than more success of integrating the French trotter blood into North America in the past few decades, things are looking very promising this year. The magic word for this is of course Ready Cash, the best Trotting Stallion in the world together with Muscle Hill.
With comparatively very few offspring in the USA, he brought two horses to the final of the Hambletonian Stakes on August 8th at The Meadowlands, with Heat Winner Ready for Moni and also the preliminary runner-up Back of the Neck quite candidates for the victory in the 1 Million Dollar event.
But of course there are also Muscle Hill and Father Patrick, who each brought three candidates to the final. Cantab Hall, father of Father Patrick, and Royalty for Life, winner of the Hambletonian in 2013, each send one participant.
This means three things in particular:
– Surprisingly, no offspring from the sire line of Garland Lobell can be seen in the final field, although two Hambo's from descendants from this line were only recently won (Perfect Spirit 2017 and Atlanta 2018).
– So it comes to a crystal clear duel between the lines of Speedy Crown and Star's Pride, as was so often the case in the 70s to 90s. Speedy Crown is represented seven times, above all through its great-grandson Valley Victory, Star's Pride three times, twice through Ready Cash, through which this classic line is experiencing an enormous boom in Europe.
– There are two mares in the field, Ramona Hill and Sister Sledge. Thus, for the first time since 1996, when Continental Victory and Act of Grace competed against the boys, there are two mares in the final. And only for the second time in the history of the Hambletonian since 1983. The chances that one of the mares will win the Hambo are absolutely good, especially Ramona Hill, the impressive winner of her preliminary run, has great hopes on the betting market.
Maternal Lines:
2 Medio (US)
2 Minnehaha (US)
1 Dolly (by Young Irvington) (NZ)
1 Ida (by Hal Tom Jr) (US)
1 Lizzie Witherspoon (US)
1 Molly Armstrong (US)
1 Nelly (by Mambrino Sterley) US)
1 Sally Sovereign (US)
Just one surprise, actually. Amigo Hall comes from a dam line from New Zealand. This line found its way into the American stud book through the importation of the mare Le Chant, born in 1960, and the birth of her daughter Singing Bay in the USA in 1973. If you click on the link of the dam line at Amigo Hall, you will see what fantastic heredity this is especially in recent decades, both for the trotters and the pacers. Unfortunately, as a gelding, Amigo Hall cannot pass this on ...
The other dam lines in the starting field are classic American, all with great successes. Medio as No. 1 and Minnehaha as No. 2 worldwide.
The Hambletonian Oaks 2020
Some surprises ...
2020_08_08
$600,000 Hambletonian Oaks
Crucial (Yannick Gingras)
by Father Patrick (US) – Jolene Jolene (US) – Muscle Hill (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Mamie (US)
Next Level Stuff (Tim Tetrick)
by Sebastian K. (SE) – Nantab (US) – Cantab Hall (US)
Paternal Line: Hambletonian – Sam Williams – Carioca II – Fakir du Vivier
Maternal Line: Minnehaha (US)
Reba Blue Chip (Verlin Yoder)
by Chapter Seven (US) – Natashas Kiss (US) – Balanced Image (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Volomite - Victory Song - Garland Lobell
Maternal Line: Minnehaha (US)
May Baby (James Yoder)
by Guccio (US) – Free Wheeling (US) – Credit Winner (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Midnight (US)
Tricky Sister (Corey Callahan)
by Trixton (US) – Pay Me Sister (US) – Revenue (FR)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Esther (US)
Whose Blues (Daniel Dube)
by Cantab Hall (US) – Bright Baby Blues (US) – Andover Hall (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Medio (US)
Sorella (Yannick Gingras)
by Muscle Hill (US) – Kadealia (US) – Kadabra (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Minnehaha (US)
Fortune Starlet (x)
by Trixton (US) – Fortune Dream (US) – Daguet Rapide (FR)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Ramona (US)
Solsbury Hill (Scott Zeron)
by Muscle Hill (US) – Emmylou Who (US) – Ken Warkentin (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Captain Roberts mare (US)
Ab’sattitudexpress (Tim Tetrick)
by Trixton (US) – Abbiesgotattitude (US) – American Winner (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Captain Roberts mare (US)
Panem (Dexter Dunn)
by Father Patrick (US) – Katniss (US) – Credit Winner (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Scotland - Speedy Crown - Speedy Somolli - Valley Victory
Maternal Line: Lizzie Witherspoon (US)
Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears)
by Chapter Seven (US) – Daydream AM (SE) – Muscle Hill (US)
Paternal line: Hambletonian - Volomite - Victory Song - Garland Lobell
Maternal Line: Lizzie Witherspoon (US)
Conclusion:
Hambletonian Oaks
Sires:
3 Trixton (US) by Muscle Hill
2 Chapter Seven (US) by Windsong´s Legacy
2 Father Patrick (US) by Cantab Hall
2 Muscle Hill (US) by Muscles Yankee
1 Cantab Hall (US) by Self Possessed
1 Guccio (US) by Yankee Glide
1 Sebastian K. (SE) by Korean
In contrast to the Hambletonian final, there were no eliminations for the Hambletonian Oaks this time. Thus, twelve mares come up with Hypnotic AM as the betting favorite, which, however, has to start from the second tier.
Trixton is represented three times as sire, Chapter Seven, Father Patrick and Muscle Hill two times each, Cantab Hall also here once. Probably more surprising are Guccio and Sebastian K. as sires, the latter unfortunately only recently died of colic.
Two French bred horses as damsires, Revenue and Daguet Rapide, are a bit unusual. Revenue was reimported to Europe (Norway) in 2011, the latter having practically spent his entire covering career in Italy.
Maternal Lines:
3 Minnehaha (US)
2 Captain Roberts mare (US)
2 Lizzie Witherspoon (US)
1 Esther (US)
1 Midnight (US)
1 Mamie (US)
1 Medio (US)
1 Ramona (US)
Lots of classic American dam lines with an M at the beginning, Medio, Minnehaha, Mamie, Midnight ... The only unusual thing is that the third best dam line worldwide, that of Mambrino Beauty, couldn't send any finalists this year.
2020_08