Mission impossible, trotting edition

by Murray Brown

Last week, I accepted the challenge to foresee a quality broodmare band made up of 10 yearling pacing fillies scheduled to sell in Harrisburg. They are indeed an impressive group.

As impressive as the pedigrees of those pacing fillies are, it’s my opinion that the trotting fillies in this second part of the challenge surpasses them in overall quality of pedigree. I would go even further and say that the dams of these 10 trotting fillies as a group have produced the winners of more money than any comparable group offered at auction this year. I don’t have the data on hand, but I would make an educated guess that they might even surpass the number of such a group ever offered at public auction in the history of the sport.

I realize that is a very bold statement but so are the astonishing numbers.

Assuming that my math is correct (I’ve triple checked the numbers), the dams of these 10 fillies have produced the winners of $23,645,494. That’s an average of well over two-and-one-quarter million dollars per mare.

Rather than continue to speak collectively of those 10 fillies, let’s take a look at them individually in order of my preference.

Hip #88 Live Long Hanover — Chapter Seven—Lifetime Pursuit—Cantab Hall. The first attribute that jumps out is that this filly is a full sister to the possible Horse of the Year Super Chapter ($2,949,066).

In my introduction with the pacing fillies last week, I said that their sires are not of primary importance, but when it’s possibly the world’s greatest sire, it has to mean a little more.

Her dam Lifetime Pursuit was a great Grand Circuit filly who earned ($1,065,586). She is sired by Cantab Hall as are the dams of four of the 10 fillies on this list. She comes from a great George Segal/Brittany Farms family.

Lifetime Pursuit’s foals have earned $2,957,016.

Hip #143 Secret Luv Hanover — Walner—Secret Magic—Cantab Hall. Being a sibling to the great world champion trotter Manchego ($3,144,777) should be enough. But there is more, much more. She is a sibling to three other stakes winners including the millionaire In Secret ($1,006,318). Her dam is a half-sister to the world champion and millionaire Possess The Magic ($1,043,503).

If Chapter Seven is not the world’s leading trotting sire, then his son Walner undoubtedly is. She is another filly that comes from a great George Segal/Brittany Farms family.

Secret Magic’s foals have earned $4,495,019.

Hip #43 Coffeeshop Hanover — Chapter Seven—Crucial—Father Patrick. A full sister to the Dan Patch 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of 2024 Maryland ($1,719,655). From the multiple stakes winner Crucial ($528,598), a sibling to the Dan Patch and O’Brien winner Venerable ($1,187,798), and three other stakes winners. Her grandam Jolene Jolene ($231,673) provides the link to arguably the top trotting family in the breed today.

Crucial’s foals have earned $1,928,722.

Hip #484 Angel Angelica — Tactical Approach—Solveig—Yankee Glide. A sibling to nine stakes winners including the two-time Dan Patch winner Shake It Cerry ($2,786,104), Uncle Lasse ($931,268), the world champion Dontyouforgetit ($598,049), and Solvato ($300,931).

From a family brought into modern prominence by the Takter family.

Solveig’s foals have earned $5,143,429.

Hip #269 Caribbean Coast — Captain Corey—Costa Rica—Muscles Yankee. To me, this filly is the most intriguing trotter being sold this year. Not because her dam Costa Rica ($1,394,797) was a great race filly, who comes from one of trotting’s greatest filly families. I first became enamored of it through the 1966 Hambletonian winning filly Kerry Way ($221,559), a product of Clarence Gaines’ Gainesway Farm (Yes that Gainesway Farm that is today a thoroughbred breeding colossus).

Not necessarily because of her two illustrious daughters Classical Way ($715,499) and Exclusive Way ($138,688) and their production which includes world champion Expressway Hanover ($339,606) and in turn their produce which includes Dan Patch and O’Brien winner Rotation ($1,245,143).

Why then you might ask?

Because Costa Rica has had only one previous living foal and that was 12 years ago. It’s obvious that Costa Rica has had reproductive issues. This filly was produced through embryo transfer. I’m hoping that she goes on to perpetuate a great trotting line that has been somewhat dormant of late.

Costa Rica’s one living foal earned $150,966.

Hip #73 Book A Spa Day — Walner—Hot Mess Hanover—Cantab Hall. She is a full sister to the great Dan Patch winning Trotting Mare of 2024 Jiggy Jog S ($3,095,467) and a half-sister to the stakes winning fillies Wild Jiggy S ($140,500) and Margareta Hanover ($112,474), they representing all of the dam’s foals of racing age.

Hot Mess Hanover’s foals have earned $3,348,141.

Hip #69 Hulu Hanover — Volume Eight—Hillarmbro—Muscle Hill. Half-sister to the Hambletonian Oaks winner Heaven Hanover ($555,637) and the 2026 Elegant Image winner Nuance ($304,761).

Hillambro’s foals have earned $883,618.

Hip #47 Eavesdrop Hanover — Captain Corey—Evermore—Deweycheatumnhowe. Half-sister to the multiple stakes winning fillies Elista Hanover ($1,027,632) and May Karp ($281,408).

From a sibling to the stakes winners Nows The Moment ($936,782) and the O’Brien winner Up And Ready ($434,173).

Evermore’s foals have earned $1,418,906.

Hip #561 Thinksmart Hanover — Tactical Approach—Think Twice—Cantab Hall. Half-sister to five stakes winners including Temporal Hanover ($972,166), Top Gun Hanover ($214,091), and Hill Street ($202,399 internationally).

Think Twice’s foals have earned $1,529,667 domestically.

Hip #91 Finest Chapter — Chapter Seven—Fine Tuned Lady—Cantab Hall. Sister or half-sister to three stakes winners including Oh Well ($1,566,877) and My Way ($115,503). From the multiple stakes winner Fine Tuned Lady ($643,987), a half-sister to Everyone’s Talking ($474,228), and Poster Pin Up ($439,454).

Fine Tuned Lady’s foals have earned $1,784,810).

DROP GRAPH:

I would go even further and say that the dams of these 10 trotting fillies as a group have produced the winners of more money than any comparable group offered at auction this year. I don’t have the data on hand, but I would make an educated guess that they might even surpass the number of such a group ever offered at public auction in the history of the sport.