Analysis of the 2015 Dan Patch winners finds champs hail from young mares.

by Dean A. Hoffman

Would you like to own a Dan Patch winner?

Would you like to stand there and smile as photographers record the moment? Would you like to write out an acceptance speech worthy of an Academy Award winner, giving thanks to everyone involved in the championship season?

If so, you need to start with a yearling from a young mare that demonstrated class on the track by earning six-figures and getting a fast mark in the process.

That’s the lesson to be learned by studying the dams of the Dan Patch winners from last season.

The dams of the Dan Patch winners averaged seven years of age when they foaled their champion performers.

Nine Of the 12 Dan Patch winners — 75 per cent — were first or second foals of their dams. Five were first foals, four were second foals. One was a third foal, and two were fourth foals.

All six of the dams of pacing champs earned $90,000 or more on the track, and most of them earned considerably more.

Four of the six dams of trotting champions earned $99,000 or more, including the $885,933 earned by Broadway Schooner, dam of Broadway Donna.

The lesson? Young mares with proven talent on the track are most likely to produce champions.

Admittedly, following those simple rules won’t guarantee you a Dan Patch winner. (Since when did they start to offer guarantees in the horse business?) But it will put the odds greatly in your favor.

So you may wish to skip looking at yearlings that are the ninth foal of a mare foaled in 1998. You might also skip looking at yearlings out of an unraced sister to a top horse.

While everyone else focuses on the Dan Patch champions from last season, I focused on the horses that knew the champions first: their mamas. I wanted to see if I could discern any patterns in a brief glimpse at their accomplishments.

We must first admit that using only the Dan Patch winners is an absurdly small sample size to make sweeping generalizations. To reach any plausible conclusions in such a survey, you need a much larger sample size. Instead we focused only on the mares that produced champions last year. To draw larger conclusions would require a far larger sample of mares, and the standardbred industry hasn’t done that, yet.

So we must make do with this small sample of champions. It would be a mistake to read too much into these findings. There will always be exceptions to the rules, but young mares with accomplishments on the track comprise the bulk of the mommy brigade of Dan Patch Champions.

I’m listing each mare with her year of foaling, record, earnings, pedigree and a brief comment.

PACERS

MOZZI HANOVER (2005) p, 4, 1:52.4f ($140,612)

Jenna’s Beach Boy—Movie Star Laag—Laag

Let’s start with the dam of the reigning Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit. He was, of course, also the sophomore male pacing champion.

Mozzi is from the maternal family of Medio, often known in the past as the Miss Bertha C family or “Hanover Sisters” family.

She was six years old when she foaled her champion and he was her second foal. The young mare is owned by George Teague, Jr. Inc. and James Bernstein.

MC GIBSON (2006) p, 3, 1:51.2f ($331,483)

McArdle—Armbro Althea—Artsplace

Her champion son Boston Red Rocks was her second foal and he arrived when she was a seven-year-old.

She and Mozzi Hanover, dam of Wiggle It Jiggleit, are from the same maternal family. McGibson’s eighth dam Reba Hanover (1945) is a half-sister to Beppy Hanover (1951), the 10th dam of Wiggle It Jiggleit. Of note is that Reba Hanover was sired by the pacing champion Billy Direct while Beppy Hanover was sired by the trotting champion Titan Hanover. McGibson is owned by Andray Farm and Sergent Stables, LLC.

WESTERN MONTANA (2004) p,3,1:52.4f ($175,010)

Western Hanover—Incredible Margie—Abercrombie

She’s from the Mamie family, the same branch the produced 1985 Horse of the Year Nihilator. She was a nine-year-old when she foaled champion pacing filly Pure Country, her fourth foal. Diamond Creek Farm owns Western Montana.

LOVING CAROLINE (2005) p, 3, 1:52.4f ($197,059)

Art Major—Best Laid Plans—Cambest

She produced her champion daughter Divine Caroline as her second foal at age seven. Loving Caroline is also a member of the resplendent Diamond Creek broodmare band.

IDEAL TREASURE (2005) p,7, 1:52f ($90,241)

Western Ideal—Art Matters—Artsplace

Her long-lasting son State Treasurer was her first foal when she was a four-year-old. We should note that Ideal Treasure has raced 75 times in the last five seasons after having two foals. Ideal Treasure is owned by Stephan White of Pennsylvania.

VENUS KILLEAN (2001) p, 3, 1:56s ($103,718)

Run The Table—Venus—On The Road Again

Ohioan Bruce Trodgon now owns this mare who produced her champion daughter Venus Delight as her fourth foal at age nine.

TROTTERS

FLAWLESS LINDY (2007) 3, 1:58.1f ($99,756)

Cantab Hall—Clasicaly Designed—Lindy Lane

Her first foal champion Southwind Frank arrived when she was a five-year-old. She’s owned by Southwind Farm.

BROADWAY SCHOONER (2006)

Broadway Hall—Pine Schooner—Pine Chip

It surely must give breeder/owner Jules Siegel and trainer Jim Campbell great joy to see that Broadway Donna did last year. The daughter of Donato Hanover demonstrated the same talent that Broadway Schooner showed for Siegel and Campbell when she won the Hambletonian Oaks and Breeders Crown as a sophomore. Broadway Donna was the second foal of Broadway Schooner and arrived when she was a seven-year-old.

MARGIE SEELSTER (2002) 6, 1:55.1fs ($247,483)

Angus Hall—Meadowbranch Girl—Baltic Speed

The dam of Hambletonian winner Pinkman had a long career (140 starts) on the track, so she was a 10-year-old when she delivered him as her first foal. She is now owned by Jay and Jacob Mossbarger of Midland Acres in Ohio.

SOUTHWIND SERENA (2004) 3, 1:55.2 ($385,088)

Varenne—Spice On Ice—Pine Chip

This mare was sired by Varenne, the “Italian Stallion” that ruled the world of trotting during his time on the track. Southwind Serena took her mark winning the Breeders Crown, so it’s hardly a surprise that she’d produce a supersonic daughter like the champion Mission Brief. Southwind Serena is now owned by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm, and Andray Lea Racing. Mission Brief was her third foal, arriving when Southwind Serena was eight years old.

TOPCAT HALL (2004) 3, 2:00 ($7,145)

Conway Hall—Trapeze Artist—King Conch

This mare didn’t accomplish much on the track but she produced a champion aged son last season in JL Cruz. He was her second foal and arrived when she was age seven. Fred Hertrich owns Topcat Hall.

BEEHIVE (2004) 3, 1:57.3f ($8,891)

Balanced Image—Miss Yellowjacket—Armbro Goal

Her celebrated daughter Bee A Magician was her first foal and arrived when Beehive was a six-year-old. The daughter of Balanced Image was bred and is still owned by White Birch Farm.