Hall of Fame

 



no nukes

Year of Induction: 
2003
Year of Birth: 
1979
Inducted as a: 
Stallion
Immortal: 
Yes
Elected as Immortal: 
2005
Election Into Living Hall of Fame: 
2003
Year of Death: 
2005
Gait: 
Pacer
Record: 
p,2,1:56.3; 3,T1:52.1
Earnings: 
$572,430
Sire: 
Oil Burner
Dam: 
Gidget Lobell
Sire of Dam: 
Overtrick
Biography: 

No Nukes, by the Most Happy Fella stallion Oil Burner, was the first foal out of Gidget Lobell by Overtrick. Foaled in New Jersey in 1979, he was bred by noted harness driver Ben Webster of New Jersey and William F. Brooks of Chesapeake Farm in Delaware. He was purchased for $21,000 at the 1980 Harness Breeders Select Yearlings sale at Liberty Bell Park by trainer Steve Demas in partnership with Vince Vinci of Magna Stables, with Ben Webster retaining part ownership.

No Nukes won 10 of 19 lifetime starts earning $572,430. As a two-year-old he was driven by Ben Webster. He earned $45,110 and won four of his six starts including the Goshen Cup with a time of 1:56.3, a national season record and one of the fastest early season miles in the history of harness racing. During his sophomore season No Nukes was driven by Hall of Fame Immortal Glen Garnsey. That year he won 6 of 13 starts with $527,320 in total earnings. Major victories consisted of the Jersey Cup, heats of the Adios and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and eliminations of the Jersey Classic, Meadowlands Pace and Battle of Brandywine. No Nukes' racing career concluded with a 1:52.1 time trial at The Red Mile.

Between his freshman and sophomore seasons, No Nukes was syndicated for $5 million, the third highest price paid for a freshman Standardbred. Alan J. Leavitt of Lana Lobell Farms, who was impressed by the handsome colt's large, ground-gaining gait and deceptive speed, organized this syndication. No Nukes initially stood at Lana Lobell Farms of New Jersey. Several years later he was moved to Steve Demas's Upstream Farm also in New Jersey and in 1994 he was relocated to Hanover Shoe Farms of New Jersey.

It was as a sire that No Nukes made his mark on Standardbred history. No Nukes is the third leading all-time moneywinning sire and was harness racing's leading moneywinning sire in 1991, 1992 and 1994. He was also the first sire to have three double millionaires: Western Hanover, Jate Lobell and Die Laughing. No Nukes sired 2,543 registered foals of which 2,145 were starters with 1,442 in 2:00, 513 in 1:55 and 4 in 1:50. His progeny earned an astounding $128,163,907 with 330 $100,000 lifetime winners, eight $1 million winners and three $2 million winners. Significant offspring include the 1991 Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year and 1992 Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year and member of the Living Horse Hall of Fame, Western Hanover p,3,1:50.4 ($2,541,647); the 1986 Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and 1987 Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year and Living Horse Hall of Fame member, Jate Lobell p,3,1:51.2 ($2,231,402); the winner of the 1991 New Jersey Classic, Die Laughing p,3,1:51.1f ($2,164,386); the 1992 and 1993 Breeders Crown victor and the second two-year-old filly to earn $1 million, Immortality p,3,1:51 ($1,614,939); Jeremy's Gambit p,3,Q1:51.1 ($1,152,247); the winner of the 1987 Matron Stake, Nadia Lobell p,3,1:53.4f ($1,007,119); Lotta Soul p,5,1:50.2 ($1,052,015); and the winner of the 1989 Meadowlands Pace, Dexter Nukes p,3,1:51.3 ($1,027,620). No Nukes was also a leading producer of early speed and two-minute performers. His fastest foal was the 2005 William Haughton Pace champion Dr. No p,4,1:48.2s.

No Nukes was one of the few modern day stallions to produce several top-quality sons at stud, including the 2004 leading moneywinning sire Western Hanover, Jate Lobell and Dexter Nukes. As a broodmare sire, No Nukes is credited with 4,924 registered foals with over $190 million in earnings. 3,382 of these foals became starters with 2,155 in 2:00, 936 in 1:55, and 35 in 1:50. He was the top broodmare sire of two- and three-year-olds in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004, as well as the top all-age broodmare sire from 2001 to 2004. Top performers include 1996 Breeders Crown winner His Mattjesty p,3,1:51s ($1,038,861); world record holder Royal Mattjesty p,5,1:48.4 ($1,652,730); 1998 Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year, Island Fantasy p,3,1:50.1 ($1,371,525); 1999 Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year, Odies Fame p,3,1:52s ($1,410,720); 2000 Adios winner Riverboat King p,4,1:48.3 ($1,234,576); 2000 Little Brown Jug victor, Astreos p,3,1:49.3 ($1,062,594); 2002 Breeders Crown champion, Armbro Amoretto p,3,1:50.1 ($1,285,744); multiple stakes winner, Art's Virtue p,3,1:50.3 ($1,100,639); and 2003 Niatross winner, Modern Art p,3,1:50.2 ($1,032,249).

No Nukes was inducted into the Living Hall of Fame in 2003. He died on May 8, 2005 at the age of 26 at Hanover Shoe Farms of New Jersey where he was also buried.

Published in the Harness Racing Museum's "The 2003-2005 Immortals" (2006)