BRET HANOVER
Breed	Standardbred [1]
Sire	ADIOS (USA)
Grandsire	HAL DALE (USA)
Dam	BRENNA HANOVER (USA)
Damsire	TAR HEEL (USA)
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	May 19 1962
Country	US
Colour	Bay
Earnings	$922,616
Major Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Wins
68 starts for 62 wins, 5 second and 1 third
Infobox last updated on: 2009-04-17.

Bret Hanover (foaled USA in 1962) was an American champion standardbred racehorse. He was a son of the leading sire Adios and was foaled at Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania on May 19, 1962.

He was notable for being the only horse to have even been made Harness Horse of the Year three times. He was also one of only nine pacers to win harness racing's Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers and achieved a fine career total of 62 wins from 68 starts.^[2]

Contents 1 Racing career 2 Stud career 3 Reference list 4 See also

[edit] Racing career

Trained and driven by Frank Ervin in his 1964 debut season in racing, two-year-old Bret Hanover was undefeated, winning all 24 races he entered and would continue undefeated for 35 races. In his second season of racing, he was 21-for-24 and in his last year of racing at age four, he was 17-for-20 for a career total of 62 wins in 68 races. He never placed worse than third. He was voted Harness Horse of the Year in 1964, 1965 and 1966 by the US Trotting Association and the US Harness Writers Association. Bret Hanover was only ever beaten by three horses, Cardigan Bay, Adios Vic and True Duane. He had great duels with Cardigan Bay, harness racing's first millionaire including the Pace of the Century won by Cardigan Bay. Bret Hanover easily beat Cardigan Bay in the Revenge Pace, also set up by Yonkers Raceway.

[edit] Stud career

Bret Hanover was retired as the fastest and richest standardbred. He went to stud at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky where he was a highly sought after breeding stallion. Among his many successful offspring were Little Brown Jug winners Melvin's Woe and Strike Out. He is remembered as one of the better broodmare sires.

After his death on November 21, 1992 Bret Hanover was buried at Lexington's Kentucky Horse Park, and the statue that had been erected for him at Castleton Farm today stands at his gravesite.

Numerous stories have been written about the horse including the book "Big Bum, The Story of Bret Hanover".^[3] Bret Hanover would bow to the crowd after every win, Frank Ervin (driver) would get off of him and Bret would then cross his front legs and bend over and the crowd would go nuts

[edit] Reference list

[edit] See also

For links to other harness horse information and biographies, see also:

• Harness racing in the United States
• Cardigan Bay
• Overtrick