Peace Corps & Mack Lobell Have Rich Maternal Heritage

Last week in this space, I profiled the modern foundation mare Lady Ann Reed, a relative newcomer when it comes to harness racing's leading maternal families. This week, I propose to examine one of harness racing's oldest and largest families. This is the Medio family. The Medio family is very important because, in more than one instance, it has produced the fastest horses in the breed--at both gaits!

Let us begin with the basics. Medio, the foundation mare of this family, was a foal of 1887. One of her earliest foals, and an indication of what might come later was the fact that her 1898 foal, a gelding named Peter Stirling, won the 1901 Kentucky Futurity. Medio was a daughter of Cooper Medium, and that stallion was a son of Happy Medium, a son of Hambletonian. Much of Medio's maternal background is unknown, but Medio's dam was the Mambrino King mare Topsey, whose own dam was never proven.

THE MEDIO FAMILY CONSISTS OF TWO BRANCHES--ONE VERY BIG--THE OTHER VERY SMALL

The Medio family has two distinct branches--one very large, and the other, by comparison, painfully small. Besides producing Peter Stirling, Medio had a pair of daughters, her 1891 daughter Marble, bred by the famed Henry Clay family of Kentucky, and her 1899 daughter Ariel Wilkes, who was by Don Wilkes, a son of the famed George Wilkes, progenitor of the Axworthy male line. Since the Ariel Wilkes tribe is much smaller, let us dispense with her first.

There is a single thread holding this family from the brink of extinction. Ariel Wilkes produced little in her days, but turned up nearly nine decades away from her own foaling. In 1981, a trotting filly appeared in Michigan who would later become one of the top trotting females of her generation. That was the brilliant Duchess Faye 3,1:56 2-5; $387,483, winner of the filly division of the World Trotting Derby in world record time. Later, as a broodmare, Duchess Faye showed her real class, reeling off a successful group of foals which included the Breeders Crown champion Delray Lobell 4,1:55 2-5f; $546,461; Dutch Lobell 3,1:57 3-5; $127,859; Durkin Lobell 3,Q2:00 2-5; $157,819; Daniel Lobell 1:56; $87,602 and finally Duchess Lobell 3, 1:56 4-5; $30,428. All of these successful performers were sired by Speedy Crown. Duchess Faye, a foal of 1978, is nine generations removed from Medio in her direct maternal line.

MISS BERTHA DILLON IS THE PRINCIPAL FOUNTAIN FROM WHICH THIS FAMILY FLOWED

Ariel Wilkes, the mare responsible for the historic link to Duchess Faye and her remarkable offspring, is a half-sister to the more well-known Marble, a foal of 1891 who, through her daughter Miss Bertha C., shows up as the grandam of one of the most famous foundation mares of them all-- Miss Bertha Dillon.

Miss Bertha Dillon was a foal of 1914, and was bred by A.B. Coxe, a noted breeder of that era. Coxe was a devoted disciple of the Axworthy line stallion Dillon Axworthy, and a 1913 breeding of Dillon Axworthy and Miss Bertha C. produced Miss Bertha Dillon. As a race filly, Miss Bertha Dillon showed some of the promise later realized by this great family. She was a world champion of her era, and was second in a heat of the 1917 Kentucky Futurity in a photo finish with eventual winner The Real Lady.

Later, when A.B. Coxe's health failed, all of his horses were bought by Lawrence Sheppard, and this mare, and her descendants, became the main foundation upon which Hanover Shoe Farms was built. Scarcely has any mare in history had such a profound effect on the breed.

Let us examine the foals from Miss Bertha Dillon. The first were her 1920 and 1924 foals Dillon Volo and Sandy Flash, respectively, each from the cover of Peter Volo, who then stood at Walnut Hall Farm in Kentucky. Dillon Volo never did much, but Sandy Flash had a brief flirtation with greatness, as his son Bill Gallon left the Kentucky Futurity winner Harlan, who got the Hambletonian winner Harlan Dean, who got the good modern sire Tarport Devlin in Michigan. Bill Gallon's sire line also produced the solid Ohio sire B.F. Coaltown, through Bill Gallon's son, Galophone, but B.F. Coaltown did not leave a son to carry on the male line, and this line has now all but disappeared from North America.

In 1925, Miss Bertha Dillon produced a filly foal from her mating with the ill-fated Kentucky Futurity winner Lee Worthy, a son of world champion Lee Axworthy. Through a single daughter of importance, Miss Bertha Worthy produced a chain of females that would eventually culminate in the production of Bret Hanover, one of the most legendary figures of pacing in North America. Miss Bertha Worthy was bred to The Laurel Hall, producing a 1931 filly named Laura Hanover. Laura Hanover was bred to Nibble Hanover and produced a daughter, Beryl Hanover, who when bred to Tar Heel, produced the mare, Brenna Hanover, dam of Bret Hanover. There are many branches of this particular family still very active today at the leading North American nurseries, but the family is primarily known for it's pacers. No prominent modern-day trotters trace to Miss Bertha Worthy.

MISS BERTHA WORTHY'S SUBSEQUENT FOALS CHANGED THE FACE OF TROTTING HISTORY

Let us look at a list of Miss Bertha Dillon's other foals. 1926--Miss Bertha Hanover (Peter Volo) 1927--Hanover's Bertha (Peter Volo) 1928--Charlotte Hanover (Peter Volo) 1930--Bertha Hanover (Guy McKinney) 1931--Bertha C. Hanover (Peter Volo) 1932--LAWRENCE HANOVER (h-Peter Volo) 1933--Fay Hanover (Peter Volo)

We have already seen that Miss Bertha Dillon's first daughter led the parade, founding the family that led to Bret Hanover. With her matings with Peter Volo, Miss Bertha Dillon made magic. The legendary mare became the first matron to produce three 2:00 trotters, as her daughters Miss Bertha Hanover,4,2:00; Hanover's Bertha 3,1:59 1/2; and Charlotte Hanover 3,1:59 1/2 earned the great mare her first elite production. Each of these mares also fashioned a totally remarkable family history that is unquestionably one of the breed's largest, and most interesting. Let us look at each branch of the family in chronological order.

The first daughter from Peter Volo was Miss Bertha Hanover. From five of her daughters, the 1932 foal Patricia Hanover (Bunter); the 1934 foal Delphia Hanover (Truax); the 1936 mare Charm Hanover (Peter The Brewer); the 1938 mare Brenda Hanover (Mr. McElwyn), and her full sister, the 1941 mare Madge Hanover, we get a first glimpse of the mass quality of this family. The Patricia Hanover tribe comes to us today as the home of the immediate family of Hambletonian winner Green Speed 3, 1:55 3-5; World Trotting Derby filly champion Act Of Grace 3, 1:52 3-5; her full sister Prolific Lady 3,1:56 2-5; the sensational colt A Worthy Lad 3,1:57 3-5f; as well as the world champion Speedy Crown mare Keystone Profile 3,1:55 1-5. The mare most responsible for the modern family production is the 1967 mare Peridot, a daughter of Hickory Pride. Peridot was not only the dam of Green Speed, Hambletonian and Yonkers Trot winner, but also produced Keystone Profile, dam of Act Of Grace and Prolific Lady, as well as the dam of the highly regarded young stallion Mr Vic 3,Q1:54 2-5. Peridot's third dam was the good His Excellency producer Columbia Hanover, dam of the sensational colt trotter Caleb, a son of Hoot Mon.

From Delphia Hanover came the family that produced Hambletonian winner Egyptian Candor, as well international stars Dart Hanover and Sea Cove. This family is also home to the 1998 two-year-old divisional champion Rum Boogie, whose fifth dam is Miss Bertha Hanover. From Charm Hanover comes a bevy of stars that is the home to such well known performers as Chiola Hanover, Bon Sport, Cami Almahurst, Speedy Tomali, Copter Lobell, Pantankerous, Wee Caitlin and Keystone Corky.

Peace Corps traces to Brenda Hanover, a 1938 daughter of Mr. McElwyn and Miss Bertha Hanover. Brenda Hanover's family is prominent as the home of not only Peace Corps, but also that of millionaire trotter Savoir, the brilliantly fast Arndon (sire of Pine Chip) and also is home to the immediate family of recent stars Conway Hall, Angus Hall, Canland Hall and Emilie Cas El. Brenda Hanover is the third dam of Savoir, the fifth dam of Peace Corps and Arndon, and the fourth dam of full brothers Conway and Angus Hall.

Madge Hanover, the last of the prominent daughters of Miss Bertha Hanover, is the branch responsible not only for Mack Lobell, but also to Hambletonian winner American Winner and his full brothers Super Pleasure and BJ's Mac, as well as the good Valley Victory trotter Smasher 3,1:56 1-5; and the successful Super Bowl stallion Master Willie.

HANOVER'S BERTHA WAS MISS BERTHA DILLON'S TOP RACING DAUGHTER

Hanover's Bertha was the kind of race filly everyone dreams about, and she and trainer Tom Berry were an exciting pair. They rampaged through the two and three year old stakes in 1929 and 1930, winning the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity. In the 1930 Futurity, the brilliant filly became the first 3-year-old filly to trot in 2:00 in the Futurity. Later, Hanover's Bertha also produced the Hambletonian-winning filly Shirley Hanover in a family that hibernated for nearly 40 years before it re-appeared in 1994 with the Breeders Crown winner Lookout Victory, a lifetime winner of nearly $1.6 million. Hanover's Bertha is the ninth dam of Lookout Victory in the branch descending from Shirley Hanover. This family also is responsible for the 1998 Breeders Crown winner Musical Victory. Hanover's Bertha is the eighth dam of Musical Victory.

A more successful branch of the Hanover's Bertha family is that descending from Hanover's Bertha's 1942 daughter Beverly Hanover, the dam of 1960 Hambletonian winner Blaze Hanover. A full sister to Blaze Hanover is the grandam of millionaire trotting filly Britelite Lobell, and other daughters from this family produced Noble Jade, Crown's Best, Giant Force, Imageofaclear Day and Mr. Drew.

The Charlotte Hanover tribe's most promising trotting family emanated from Charlotte's 1944 daughter Flicka Hanover. "Flicka" became the dam of Flicka Frost, and that Victory Song mare produced the Hambletonian-winning brothers Timothy T. and Christopher T., as well as the Hambletonian Oaks winner Cora T. Charlotte Hanover's tribe, which is now principally a pacing family, is also home to such well-known trotters as Starlark Hanover, Starita Lobell and Cold Comfort.

Bertha Hanover, a 1930 daughter of Miss Bertha Dillon, is responsible for one of pacing's best families, a maternal link to such stars as Artsplace, Cambest and Little Brown Jug winner Armbro Operative. There are no prominent trotters descended from Bertha Hanover.

Bertha C. Hanover, Miss Bertha Dillon's next-to-last prominent daughter, established a modestly successful branch of her own, as her daugthters and grandaughters led the way for such trotting stars as Friendly Face, Valley Dancing, Uncle Sam, Floribert, Dick's Bell and Noble Rogue. Another branch of Bertha C. Hanover came through her daughter Bertie Hanover, the dam of the noted stakes filly Berna Hanover, who in turn produced the good young Canadian sire Royal Strength.

The final relevant daughter of Miss Bertha Dillon is her 1933 foal, Fay Hanover, a daughter of Peter Volo, and thus a full sister to many of Miss Bertha Dillon's most successful producers. Fay Hanover has not left a lasting, deep presence, but her family also has not disappeared. Fay's grandaughter, Louanna Hanover, was the dam of the good 1950's trotter Circo. Another close family star was the Yonkers Trot winner Mo Bandy.

MEDIO'S FAMILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WINNERS OF MORE THAN $400 MILLION

To give us some indication of the total strength of the Medio family, consider these facts from the US Trotting Association. Medio has more than 21,000 descendants over the past 110 years who have won a total of more than $400 million. This places Medio among the top five producing families in history. The average earnings of each foal from this family is, remarkably, nearly $20,000, encompassing nearly 22,000 offspring, about 40 per cent of which are trotters. Peace Corps is the leading money-winning descendant of this family with more than $5.5 million credited to her international bank account. The Medio family is also noted as a home of great fillies, since more $100,000 winning females can trace their heritage to Medio than any other in harness racing history. Nearly 250 fillies and mares from this family have earned more than $100,000 each, tops in historical terms among all the great families. This family also has a higher percentage of top-class trotters. Nine Hambletonian winners trace their maternal heritage to Medio's wide maternal legacy.

Miss Bertha Dillon was the most noted producer of her time, and was held in such reverence that when she died, she was buried in the infield of The Red Mile in Lexington, where her large tombstone can still be seen from the historic grandstand.

The only other family close to Medio is that of Minnehaha, and that family will be examined next week here in this space.