Hall of Fame

 



western hanover

Year of Induction: 
2002
Year of Birth: 
1989
Inducted as a: 
Racehorse and Stallion
Immortal: 
Yes
Election Into Living Hall of Fame: 
2002
Year of Death: 
2007
Gait: 
Pacer
Record: 
p,2,1:52.1; 3,1:50.4
Earnings: 
$2,541,647
Sire: 
No Nukes
Dam: 
Wendymae Hanover
Sire of Dam: 
Albatross
Biography: 

Western Hanover was foaled on March 28, 1989. He was a No Nukes colt out of the Albatross mare Wendymae Hanover. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and owned by George Segal, the Gene Riegle-trained pacer’s outstanding racing career earned him Two- and Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year honors, and he retired as the sixth leading money-winning pacer of all time. During the years 1999-2002 and 2005-2007 Western Hanover ranked as second-leading money-winning sire in North America. In 2004 and 2008-2010 he ranked first. In December of 2009, Western Hanover became the all-time money producing sire of all equine breeds.

In his freshman year Western Hanover won 8 of 14 starts, earning $697,332. Major victories included the Governor’s Cup, Lou Babic Memorial, Prix de l’Avenir, Champlain Pace and New Jersey Futurity. He was voted Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of 1991.

As a three-year-old, Western Hanover won 19 of 28 starts with earnings of $1,844,315. Although he lost his Triple Crown bid by a nose, his wins included the Messenger, Cane Pace, one heat of the Little Brown Jug, New Jersey Classic, Windy City, James Dancer Memorial, Provincial Cup, Cleveland Classic, Art Rooney Memorial Elimination, Meadowlands Pace Elimination, Terrapin Stake and two New Jersey Sire Stakes. He was voted Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of 1992 and retired with total earnings of $2,541,647.

Western Hanover has sired the winners of over $171 million including 18 millionaires, and his offspring include 446 $100,000 winners, with 1,298 in 2:00 and 751 in 1:55. He is the sire of three-time American-National winner Won The West p,5,1:47 ($3,487,024), Well Said p,3,1:47.3 ($2,569,342), winner of the 2009 Little Brown Jug, Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup, and world champion If I Can Dream p,3,1:49.4f ($1,990,276), 2009 Breeders Crown and Messenger Stakes winner. Western Hanover is also the sire of 1997 Triple Crown winner Western Dreamer p,4,1:49 ($1,812,176), world champion The Panderosa p,3,1:49.3 ($1,452,418) and Breeders Crown winners including Won The West, Western Ideal p,5,1:48 ($1,455,422), Tyberwood p,2,1:51.4 ($1,351,952), Western Shooter p,2,1:50 ($904,462), world champion Badlands Hanover p,2,1:50z ($754,772) and Take Flight p,2,1:53.2 ($602,443).

As a broodmare sire Western Hanover has sired the dams of winners of over $65 million, with 166 over $100,000 and 341 in 1:55 (17 in 1:50). He is the grandsire of millionaires Shark Gesture p,6,1:48.1s ($2,818,021) and Tidewaterdragonfly p,4,1:49.4 ($1,054,889), as well as 2008 O’Brien Award winner Nebupanezzar p,2,1:51.2s ($949,072) and world champion Dancinwiththestarz p,3,1:48.4 ($918,605).

Western Hanover was inducted into the Living Horse Hall of Fame in 2002. He stood at Hanover Shoe Farms where he died on August 26, 2007 at the age of 18.

Published in the Harness Racing Museum's "The 2006-2009 Immortals" (2011)