Harness: Was Elver Hanover the best of the 2-year-old pacing colt crop?

There has been a lot of back and forth over who deserved to be named the 2-year-old pacing colt of the year. Tall Dark Stranger won the honor over Papi Rob Hanover. I voted for Tall Dark Stranger. But after watching some video, I think I was wrong. And Papi Rob Hanover would not have gotten my vote either.

On Saturday, January 18, 2-year-old Elver Hanover was named Ohio Horse of the Year by the Ohio Harness Horseman’s Association. He was the first freshman pacer to win the honor in recent memory and, to be frank, the undefeated world champ flew under my radar. Trained by Ron Burke for Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo, J&T Silva – Purnell & Libby and Burke Racing, the son of Yankee Cruiser from Edra Hanover went nine-for-nine on the year (Tall Dark Stranger was eight of nine).

Elver Hanover set a world record the first week at Lexington, winning his split of the Bluegrass in 1:48 3/5, making him faster than either of the top two finishers in the category. The next week, he came back and won his division of the International Stallion Stake, as did Tall Dark Stranger, in his only Lexington start. Their lines were remarkably similar. As strong odds-on favorites, each got away fourth. Elver Hanover’s race hit the quarter in 27 3/5, while Tall Dark Stranger’s went 28 1/5. Both then moved to the front, with Elver Hanover posting splits of 55 3/5, 1:24 and 1:50 3/5, winning by a length and a half. Tall Dark Stranger’s splits were 55 1/5, 1:23 1/5 and 1:50. Tall Dark Stranger posted a 26 4/5 last panel while Elver Hanover came home in 26 3/5 Remarkably similar lines that show how close the two were, at least on that day. It is a shame they did not draw into the same split.

Tall Dark Stranger never strayed from a big track in 2019. Papi Rob Hanover posted three wins, a second and a third on five-eighths mile tracks. Neither saw a half-mile oval, while Elver Hanover won three times at Northfield and at Delaware. He never saw a large track until his two Red Mile wins. In his Delaware win, the Ohio Breeder’s Championship, he paced in 1:52 3/5 with a strong three-wide move going to three-quarters., while the two splits of The Standardbred, an open freshman stake, went 1:55 2/5 and 1:56 4/5 that day. In other words, the Ohio-bred was about fifteen lengths better than the open stakes colts!

But Elver Hanover’s most impressive performances, and the videos that convince me I got it wrong, came at Scioto Downs. In his pari-mutuel debut, a $40,000 Ohio Sires Stake on Independence Day, he overcame post eight. Trailing the field by over 11 lengths at the quarter, he began a grinding move that still saw him just fourth at three-quarters and third at the head of the stretch, before willing out a two-length, 1:53 4/5 win at nearly 10-1. A month later, he languished mid-pack before moving three-wide at three-quarters to post a 1:52 1/5 win. Two weeks after that, Chris Page gunned him three-wide out of the gate in 27 4/5 before getting a lead he never relinquished, winning in a comfortable 1:53 2/5.

Elver Hanover is the eighth foal of his dam Edra Hanover and the first Yankee Cruiser. While she has been a 100% producer, most of her offspring have been middling racehorses, the exception being Eddard Hanover (an $18,000 yearling), with a mark of 1:48 1/5 last year and $600,000 in the bank. Her 2-year-old this year is a son of Sweet Lou, Ernie Hanover, who brought $140,000 at Harrisburg. Elver Hanover sold for $50,000 at the Ohio Select Sale.

I admit Elver Hanover made only about half ($363,450) of what Papi Rob Hanover ($754,774) and Tall Dark Stranger ($717, 514) earned. I grant you that other than in his final two starts, he did not face the caliber of competition the other two faced. But watching video of the three, Elver Hanover was the most consistently impressive. I may have gotten my vote wrong, and I am eager to see these three (and whatever other stars we may have overlooked) as 3-year-olds. And of course, I look forward to see who the top 2-year-olds might be this season. It is early February and right now they are all world-beaters.

That’s it for this month. Save your cash for when the sophomores debut. I think it’s gonna be a helluva year.