Some Apex facts and figures

by Bob Heyden

Apex is heading to Hanover Shoe Farms and will try and continue in their fine tradition. After all, the most influential Hambletonian stallion ever was Stars Pride who had a stunning eight Hambletonian credits and is the all-time Triple Crown winning sire with four in a row, all while standing at Hanover Shoe: Ayres (1964), Nevele Pride (1968), Lindy’s Pride (1969), and Super Bowl (1972).

1. A 1:49.2 all-time Hambletonian best was set by Apex this year. It was three-fifths better than Nordic Catcher S in 2025. The last time it was lowered by more than that was in 2009 by Muscle Hill going 1:50 1 a full second faster than Glidemaster (1:51.1).

2. Apex was bred for this. Consider that his dam Mission Brief was the fastest freshman and sophomore of 2014 (1:50.3) and 2015 (1:50.2), while his sire Walner was the same in 2016 (1:51.3) and 2017 (1:50.2) despite making just two starts that year as a sophomore.

3. Apex joins a select Hambletonian-winning group whose sires were retired by Hambletonian Day. Walner retired in 2017 just weeks prior to the biggie. Broad Bahn (2011) as his undefeated sire Broadway Hall never raced again after 2. Victory Dream (1994) and Continentalvictory (1996) were both by Valley Victory who called it a career in July 1989 after his Yonkers Trot score.

4. Apex probably wouldn’t mind following the longevity that both Stars Pride and Super Bowl enjoyed at Hanover, since both lived to age 30.

5. Marcus Melander had Meshuggah and Apex in the barn together last year as Apex was the top freshman earner and Meshuggah, the Breeders Crown 3-year-old male winner. Nobody would have guessed then that the two of them would be the fastest sophomore Breeders Crown winner 1:50 1 (Meshuggah) and the fastest Hambletonian winner 1:49.2 (Apex).

6. Apex retires as the No. 1 earner at 2 and 3. Both times a Marcus Melander filly was next. Setyoursightshigh at 2 and Nezuko Kamado S at 3.

7. Apex, Walner, and Mission Brief were all freshman Dan Patch winners.

8. Apex set the Canadian record of 1:51.4 in capturing the 2025 Mohawk Million. Sire Walner is the only sire to win the Mohawk Million twice and the only sire to win it with a filly (Venerable in 2021) and a colt (Apex).

9. Marcus Melander broke through in the Hambletonian after knocking on the door with an amazing 21 starters in now a full decade competing in the America’s Trotting Classic starting with Long Tom in 2017.

10. Jeffrey Snyder had an incredible total of eight million-dollar wins with pacers before switching allegiances and now has three more including the Hambletonian with Apex on the trotting side.

11. Apex seems to be an apt name for this fella.

12. Hanover Shoe Farms is past $982 million all time and that is more than double the next slot, Winbak at $465. Hanover has bred an amazing 10 Breeders Crown winners the past four seasons while no other breeder had more than three. Here’s hoping that Apex can help continue that fine tradition in the future.