In late 2009, former University of Perth Professor Ron Groves, released his first e book “The American Standardbred”. The book traced the history of sire lines and maternal families. In 2012 it won Best Book in the Harness Racing Australia Joseph Coulter Media Awards. Ron Groves conceived and developed the international harness racing database “Classic Families” (CF) and its maternal family numbering system (details of team behind CF are found under Help/About tab).
Ron Groves
Ron Groves has revised and updated the book’s contents to June 2014. Especially relevant for Australasian readers the e book has been split into two i.e.
- The American Trotter and Pacer
- Introduction and terminology
- American beginnings
- Foundation Era sire lines
- New Century Era sire lines
- Modern Era trotting sire lines
- Modern Era pacing sire lines
- The greatest sires
- Maternal families
- The greatest broodmares
- The evolution of speed
- The early champions
- Modern Era champions
- The Australian and New Zealand Trotter and Pacer
Both books provide an historical analysis of the rise and demise of sire lines and maternal families that have created contemporary champions of both gaits in respective regions. The books set out to measure success in the standardbred.
Speed and earnings have been the normal measures used for comparing performances but this is inconclusive when judged over differing time periods. The measure of a champion is to win races against the best competitors of their era. Ron Groves describes this as :
“The very best of the champions are those that consistently beat their contemporaries as two and three year olds then continue to do so throughout their racing careers. These are the horses that refuse to be beaten and dig deep under all conditions. The champion standardbred sires and maternal families are those that consistently produce such horses. So how can race success as well as speed record and earnings be compared?”
The CF database is an extremely useful tool for comparing the champions of yesteryear with those of today. The database currently contains in excess of six thousand two hundred maternal families, one hundred and sixty eight thousand horses, over four thousand races with sixty thousand winners and one hundred and fourteen thousand results. There are three hundred and seventy three listings involving the worldwide evolution of speed records and earnings plus details of six hundred and seventy five tracks worldwide. The data base grows as it is updated and added to daily.
It is imperative to utilise the CF database when reading these e books – it assists in enhancing ones understanding of the measurement of success. It is important that you understand key terminology used in CF and the e books. Each race entered into CF is deemed a Classic Race. The definitions of Classic Winners, Classic Horses, Classic Progeny and Classic Descendants are outlined in CF and the e books.
The American Trotter and Pacer breaks the 170 plus years since the first mile in 2:30 by Lady Suffolk in 1845, into three eras for reviewing the standardbred champions.
These eras are :
- Foundation Era – 1845 to close of nineteenth century (Hambletonian 10/ sons especially George Wilkes)
- New Century Era – 1900 to 1949 (Peter The Great/Axworthy and sons)
- Modern Era – 1950 to present day (siring dynasties of Adios, Meadow Skipper and Stars Pride).
The Australian and New Zealand Trotter and Pacer uses a slightly different timetable :
- Early Champions – period from around 1860 through to 1969
- Contemporary Champions – from 1970 until present day (taking account of changes resulting from mobile racing, impacts of Adios/Meadow Skipper).
A variety of measures are used throughout the e books to compare sires, maternal families, broodmares and champions. These include :
- Tables of standard performers starting out at 2:30 and reducing down to today’s standards : US1:48 pacers/1:53 trotters
- Number of Classic Progeny per sire/broodmare sire
- Number of Classic Winners/Classic wins for sires/maternal families
- Ratios of Classic Progeny/Winners to foals
- First $100,000 winners/millionaires
- Triple Crown performers
In a change from his original e book, Ron Groves has with few exceptions dispensed with pedigrees in the e book, instead replacing them with hyperlinks to CF pedigree database. This allows greater perusal of related information to be viewed concurrently. There are a number of YouTube video clips of champion horses from the modern era that can be viewed.
Arguably the most contentious aspect of both e books relates to the selection by Ron Groves of his top ten champion sires, maternal families or racehorses of their respective eras. One example is set out below of his greatest modern Australasian Pacers and Trotters in the forty five years since 1970 (DOB order) :
Who would you discard from the pacers if you included Our Sir Vancelot, Chokin, Monkey King, Smoken Up… and what of the most recent/current brigade such as Terror To Love, Adore Me, Beautide, Christen Me ?? and for the trotters, what about Petite Evander, No Response, Tussle .. Stent ??
Whether you agree with these rankings, those applied to earlier periods or the rankings for American champions, you cannot argue that the relevant supporting information has been carefully presented for your review. All such ratings can only be subjective, often the difference being whether one has been fortunate enough or not to see the standardbred in question race in the flesh as opposed to on film, read about in books etc. Who would be in your listing of the top ten Pacers and Trotters in Australasia since 1970?
Ron Groves’ revised and updated e books make for fascinating reading. They greatly enhance knowledge of sire lines and maternal families that produced champions of both gaits in North America and Australasia.
Both e books are available to download for viewing free of charge at www.classicfamilies.net courtesy of Nevele R Stud in NZ, Blue Chip Farms (United States) and Empire Stallions (Australia) sponsors in 2015. You can also access several breeding related articles – “The Yanks Are Coming” – impact of American imports on Australasian breeding; “Thoroughbred Origins” – impact of thoroughbred on standard reds evolution; “The X Factor” – explanation of link between inherited heart size and racing performance.
Peter Craig
9 July 2015
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing