Standardbred Pacing Sire Lines 101 - Hal Dale

In the early 21st Century years of standardbred horse racing, stakes-calibre stallions all descend from three 20th Century Foundation sires:

Hal Dale
Speedster
Volomite


The dominant pacing lines are from Hal Dale and the premier trotting line is from Speedster, whereas Volomite has sired dominant trotting lines (eg. Star's Pride - Superbowl line, Garland Lobell line) and valuable outcross pacing lines (Bye Bye Byrd line, Direct Scooter line).

Hal Dale was a decendant of Hambletonian's son Electioneer, as follows:

Hambletonian - Electioneer - Chimes - The Abbe - Abbedale - Hal Dale

As Speedster and Volomite are both descendants of Hambletonian son Happy Medium via great grandson Peter The Great, the old adage that all standardbreds are descended from five sons of Hambletonian can now be refined: Premium Standardbred sire lines now descend from just two sons of Hambletonian, Electioneer and Happy Medium. Legacy lines like George Wilkes (represented today by Sierra Kosmos) and Dictator (last big splash was Steady Star) often survive by a single thread, and these almost inevitably break at some point. The trotting world success of Kadabra does illustrate that a line can be revived as an outcross option with a chance to compete for dominance.

Back in the 1980s there was concern in the harness racing world that too many eggs were being placed in the Meadow Skipper basket, as his grandsons by Albatross, Most Happy Fella and others were dominating stakes races. This situation corrected itself in three ways:

A) The dominant Albatross - Niatross - Nihalator faded out as the daughters of this powerful line went to Most Happy Fella, Abercrombie and outcross sires.

B) Most Happy Fella emerged as the new dominant line via Cam Fella and then No Nukes / Western Hanover

C) Abercrombie's son Artsplace re-affirmed Abercrombie / Artsplace as the dominant non-Meadow Skipper line

So today we have 3 dominant lines in pacing, and all trace to Hal Dale:

No Nukes - Western Hanover

Abercrombie - Artsplace

Cam Fella

You can argue who the fourth dominant line is (I'd prefer to call it the top outcross line and would suggest Mach Three / Somebeachsomewhere may solidify this position over the next two years), however I challenge any reader to suggest a 4th pacing sire line that is as successful as the 3 above, which we will now call Western Hanover line, Artsplace line and Cam Fella line. Here's how they descend from Hal Dale:

Hal Dale - Dale Frost - Meadow Skipper - Most Happy Fella - Oil Burner - No Nukes - Western Hanover

Hal Dale - Adios - Henry T Adios - Silent Majority - Abercrombie - Artsplace

Hal Dale - Dale Frost - Meadow Skipper - Most Happy Fella - Cam Fella

When Western Hanover passed at a relatively young age, I was concerned that it could affect his legacy, however he is a bona fide sire of sires and his sons and grandsons have already proven they are the ones to beat.


Pacing outcross sire lines:

Volomite - Sampson Hanover - Sampson Direct - Direct Scooter - Matts Scooter - Mach Three - Somebeachsomewhere

Meadow Skipper - Most Happy Fella - Tyler B - Dragons Lair - Dragon Again

Meadow Skipper - French Chef - Beach Towel - Jennas Beach Boy - Quik Pulse Mindale

Adios - Bret Hanover - Warm Breeze - Falcon Seelster - McArdle


The key to predicting the future is understanding which outcross sire will benefit most from daughters of Western Hanover, Artsplace and Cam Fella line stallions, and being a Maritimes-affiliated (PEI, NB) Canadian, my heart and mind are watching the offspring of Somebeachsomewhere; Which way to the Beach!!!