Hall of Fame

 



ayres

Year of Birth: 
1961
Immortal: 
Yes
Elected as Immortal: 
1999
Year of Death: 
1990
Gait: 
Trotter
Record: 
2,2:00.1h; 3,1:56.4
Earnings: 
$254,027
Sire: 
Star's Pride
Dam: 
Arpege
Biography: 

A Star's Pride-Arpege foal, bred by Mrs. Charlotte Sheppard of Hanover Shoe Farms, Ayres, in 1964 became the third horse to win trotting's Triple Crown. He set stakes records in the Yonkers Futurity and the Hambletonian and his 1:56.4 mile in the Hambletonian at DuQuoin equaled the then all-age world mark for trotters.

Even an ankle injury sustained the morning of the Kentucky Futurity wasn't enough to slow Ayres down as he captured the final leg of the Triple Crown in straight heats of 1:58.1 and 1:59.2. At the time, the 1:58.1 mile was the second fastest in the race's history.

Ayres won 20 of his 30 lifetime starts and earned $254,027. He was voted Three-Year-Old Trotter of the Year in 1964 and, in addition to his Triple Crown victories, he captured the Hanover-Hempt Stakes, Arden Downs Stakes, Review Futurity and the George Wilkes Stakes.

Ayres is the sire of 297 standard performers with 15 in 2:00 and 149 in 2:05. His progeny have earned more than $10 million.

Ayres' outstanding performers include two Hambletonian winners, Timothy T, who earned Three-Year-Old Trotter of the Year honors in 1970 and Christopher T, who won the Hambletonian in 1974. Ayres is the sire of 25 sires. His broodmare credits include 482 standard performers with 60 in 2:00, 1 in 1:55 and 296 in 2:05. They have combined earnings of over $13 million. His broodmare credits include the outstanding Pizzaz, Ahhh, Descent and Why Not.

Ayres died and was buried at Hanover Shoe Farms, Hanover, Pennsylvania on January 30, 1990 at age 29.

 Hanover Shoe Farms, Hanover, PA

Published in the Harness Racing Museum's 1999 book, The 1999 Immortals