MINNEHAHA--The largest and most productive family

In the past two weeks, we have examined the makeup of two of our most significant female lines. First, we examined the constitution of the relatively infant family of the “modern” foundation mare, Lady Ann Reed. Last week, we looked In the past two weeks, we have looked at the background of two of racing’s most at one of the oldest families, that of the storied Medio. This week, our interests turn to the largest and most productive family in the breed, that of Minnehaha.

Minnehaha is an American Indian word that translated means “laughing waters,” a name derived from the fact that the breeder of Minnehaha owned a California vineyard which produced fine wines and champagnes. Minnehaha was foaled in 1868 during the infancy of the Standardbred (Hambletonian was a foal of 1849) when the US economy was recovering from the ravages of the American Civil War.

Minnehaha’s legacy extends more than 130 years to the present day and her historic imprint on the breed is extremely important. Her daughters and granddaughters have provided the foundation upon which the females in this family tree have produced descendents that include more than 24,000 foals. These offspring have won in excess of $400 million, including more than 400 two-minute trotters and eight Hambletonian winners.

THE THOMPSON SISTERS

This family is also often known as that of the Thompson sisters, referring to Tillie Thompson, a foal of 1890, and Madam Thompson, born in 1891. This has never been technically correct for there is a branch of the family that traces to Minnehaha without going near any of the Thompson sisters. It is, of course, correct if the females trace to either of the sisters, but not all family members do. A third sister, Lydia Thompson, a foal of 1892, had a single foal and did not make the impact of her famous sisters. However, Lydia Thompson’s only offspring was the 1911 Kentucky Futurity winner Peter Thompson. Minnehaha is the grandam of the stallion Chimes, a son of Electioneer who was important in the foundation of the male line that eventually led to the pacing sires Adios, Meadow Skipper, Gene Abbe and Good Time through Chimes’ son, The Abbe. Although the foundation of these male lines is important, it is the females tracing to Minnehaha that have made the greatest overall impact.

All the Thompson sisters were daughters of Guy Wilkes, a son of Hambletonian. Guy Wilkes is a little-known brother to William L., the sire of Axtell, in the male line that led to Axworthy. The Tillie Thompson branch is much larger in numbers than that of Madam Thompson, but each branch of the family has produced four Hambletonian winners. The quartet of Hambletonian champions that came from Tillie Thompson’s branch includes Steve Lobell, Speed Bowl, Miss Tilly and Duenna. Those last two fillies are symbolic, for the Tillie Thompson branch of Minnehaha is home to several of the breed’s top racing females. Miss Tilly and Duenna have a supporting cast of other well-known fillies such as Davidia Hanover, Kentucky Futurity winner Filet of Sole, world champion Crevette and the noted 2:00 producer Desert Wind. Colts are also represented in Tillie Thompson’s group. That stellar collection includes Spartan Hanover, Steve Lobell, Speed Bowl and Brisco Hanover, among others.

TILLIE THOMPSON AND PETER THE GREAT MADE A WONDERFUL PAIR

Tillie Thompson had her greatest success with Peter The Great, but that made sense as both Tillie and her stallion mate were the property of the famed Patchen Wilkes Stock Farm near Lexington while Peter The Great stood at stud there. Their first daughter, the 1908 mare The Miss Stokes produced a wide and deep female lineage that blossomed from her granddaughter, the 1927 mare Rosy Guy, who was by Guy Axworthy. This branch of the family is home to Hambletonian winners Steve Lobell, the millionaire filly Davidia Hanover, and other celebrated trotters such as the successful Ohio stallion Striking Sahbra and the top European sire Spotlite Lobell. Davidia Hanover’s immediate family had earlier produced the top trotter Spartan Hanover, one of the unfortunate colts who was born the same year as Triple Crown winner Super Bowl. Spartan Hanover’s dam, Sprite Rodney, is the third dam of Davidia Hanover.

THERE IS AN OLD MAID THAT WE HONOR!!

Another daughter of The Miss Stokes was the 1922 mare Minnetonka, a daughter of Belwin. The Minnetonka branch is one of the largest tributary families in the breed with immense influence on both the trot and pace, all descending from her most famous daughter, the 1930 Spencer mare, Spinster. First, Spinster’s daughter Lady Scotland founded a thriving pacing family that led to such champions as world record-setters Warm Breeze, Storm Damage, Caesar’s Jackpot, and others. Lady Scotland’s half-sister by Guy Abbey was the noted producer The Old Maid, one of harness racing’s best-known female ancestors. The Old Maid has both a trotting and pacing dynasty descending from her. The Old Maid’s daughter Spinster Hanover founded the family that led to Hambletonian winners Speed Bowl and Duenna, as well as the 2-year-old world champion and solid Canadian sire Brisco Hanover 2,1:57. This family also produced the Kentucky Futurity winner Filet Of Sole and the world champion filly Crevette. The pacers in Minnetonka’s branch are also important, and cannot be overlooked here. Most of them are also descended from The Old Maid. They include such famous stars as Thorpe Hanover, Dancer Hanover, Amneris, Frugal Gourmet, and the leading money-winning pacing mare of all time, the rugged Shady Daisy. This family re-emerged in 1998 as Shady Daisy’s cousin, Shady Character, won the Little Brown Jug.

Another of Minnetonka’s daughters was the Spencer mare Tilly Tonka, a full sister to Spinster. Tilly Tonka did her bit as well, as her daughter, Missey is the dam of the top race colt and sire, Hoot Mon. Missey’s half-sister is the 1949 Hambletonian winner Miss Tilly. This family has some very vigorous genes at work, as this branch produced solid trotters like the mutliple 2:00 producer Desert Wind; the ill-fated two-year-old star Dancer’s Crown; and current stars like the $700,000 aged winner Golly Too 1:53 3-5 and the successful Ohio stallion Armbro Iliad 3,1:55 4-5.

MADAM THOMPSON HAD GREAT SUCCESS AS WELL

While Tillie Thompson’s branch is much larger, the Madam Thompson branch can brag that is home to a number of important horses from a much smaller number of performers. This list includes Hambletonian winners Speedy Somolli, Victory Dream, Legend Hanover and Diller Hanover. Like Tillie Thompson, Madam Thompson did her best work with Peter The Great, for the family descends from three of Madam Thompson’s daughters with the great progenitor. These were the 1905 mare Madam Peters and her full sisters, the 1907 foal Eva Tanguay and the 1912 sister, Miss Pierette. The Eva Tanguay group is much larger than that of the other two sisters, and is home to the important trotters. For example, Eva Tanguay’s granddaughter, the 1937 mare Leading Lady founded the family that includes 1998 star David Raymond 3, 1:54; and two-time Breeders Crown winner Wesgate Crown 2,T1:55 1-5; 1:52 3-5; $2,574,045. The same family also produced the females that would ultimately produce the 1978 and 1979 Hambletonian winners Speedy Somolli and Legend Hanover; as well as the successful full brothers Workaholic and Rule The Wind. Speedy Somolli also has founded the male line that led us directly to Valley Victory, and is one of the more important trotters of the modern era.

SIR TAURUS AND VICTORY DREAM HAVE A COMMON HERITAGE

Another offshoot of the family produced such noted trotters as the flourishing New York sire Sir Taurus and Hambletonian winner Victory Dream. Let us examine the common denominators in this family. For instance, David Raymond is eight generations removed from Leading Lady, the important female in his family. Wesgate Crown is six generations removed from the same mare. Workaholic is only four generations removed from Leading Lady and Speedy Somolli also has Leading Lady as his fourth dam. Scarcely has one mare made such a dramatic imprint on the breed. This family is, of course, also home to Lord Of All 4,1:56 2-5 (sire of the outstanding European sensation Remington Crown) as well as the Breeders Crown champion and world champion sire Royal Troubador 2, 1:57 1-5. It should be noted here that Laurita Hanover, the dam of Legend Hanover, and the grandam of Speedy Somolli, was such a good filly that she defeated colts at two, when she trotted in 2:00 1-5. Laurita Hanover was a small filly who raced for Joe O’Brien, but how interesting it is to see that a filly with such racing class of her own would found a family that produced these wonderful trotters. Victory Dream does not descend from the same maternal ancestors as Speedy Somolli’s prominent female ancestor, Leading Lady. Victory Dream and Sir Taurus trace directly from Leading Lady’s half-sister, the Protector mare Protector’s Girl.

The final branch of Minnehaha to concern us is that descending from the 1912 mare Miss Pierette, another daughter of Peter The Great-Madam Thompson. Miss Pierette’s primary contributions are on the pace, as her family produced many brilliant pacers including Little Brown Jug winners Happy Escort, Overtrick, Bullet Hanover and Ensign Hanover, as well as three-time Breeders Crown winner and multiple world champion Jenna’s Beach Boy, our fastest racing pacer.

Miss Pierette had two prominent granddaughters, including Helen Hanover (the pacing tribe) and Dream Hanover, a 1935 daughter of Calumet Chuck. Dream Hanover produced the brilliant Star’s Pride trotting colt Diller Hanover, winner of both the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity in 1959.

As stated in the opening paragraphs, this family is home to many of our top racing trotters. There are many that dispute the value of maternal families. However, as we have seen over the past three weeks, it would be hard to argue that these maternal influences did not play an important role in the success of these horses. True, they may be less important for males, but there is little doubt that they exert a tremendous influence on the pedigrees of some of our best racing fillies and their future production as broodmares.

NEXT WEEK, A LOOK AT THE OUTSTANDING GROUP OF THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTERS IN THE COMING SEASON