The sixth and final in a series of articles reviewing the ten of North American maternal families Family numbers are as shown on the Classic Families (CF) database. Due to the extensive size of these families, only brief mention can be made of some of the more prominent family members and/or items likely to be of interest to Australasian readers.
U10 Jane Hunt/Kathleen (Ethelwyn)
The family founding mare, thoroughbred Jane Hunt, can be traced back to the seventeenth century. The strongest family branch is that of Kathleen from whose 1882 daughter Ethelwyn all major family members descend. Jane Hunt’s three thoroughbred offspring were :
1) son Tiger sired foundation mare that became the fourth dam of Guy Wilkes
2) daughter Indiana (1802) left two branches including leading foundation sires Palo Alto, Alcantara and Alcyone as well as early 20th Century Era sire Belwin (dam sire of Josedale Grattan). Others tracing to Indiana include Etawah (sire of Peterwah, Dominion Hcp), Noble Adios (Cane Pace, Little Brown Jug), Adios Harry (Little Brown Jug, sire of 352 pacers), Arturo (CAN Provincial Cup, sire)
3) daughter Sally Sneed (1807) founded two branches. Mary Hunter became extinct in the late nineteenth century and Grey Goose produced Kathleen in 1865
Kathleen was thoroughbred except for sire Pilot Jr., while for thoroughbred dam Little Miss, this was her only mating with a non-thoroughbred sire. Bred to Harold, a son of Hambletonian, to obtain the same cross as reigning world champion Maud S (Harold/Miss Russell by Pilot Jr), Kathleen’s resulting daughter Ethelwyn (1882), raced only once but produced eleven Standard Performers, with more futurity and stake winners than any other dam to that time.
Ethelwyn’s five producing daughters were :
- Ethels Pride, her fastest trotter T2:06¾US (Transylvania – OT)
- Ecstatic, her fastest pacer 2:01¾US (Review Stakes)
- Impetuous, equalled the world record for two year old trotters (T2:15¾US). Southwind Tempo ($2.4m, 1:48.2, multiple group winning mare, WR 1:48.3 in 2009 for mare on 5/8 track) traces back to Impetuous
- Grendel, unraced, with her descendants including : Bill Gallon (Hambletonian, Kentucky Futurity, sire of Galophone winner of 51 of 112 races; dam sire of Elaine Rodney, Kentucky Futurity, multiple European Gp1’s), Exploit Caf (Elitloppet), millionaire trotting mare Pampered Princess, To Dream On (Kentucky Futurity -3fT), Safe Mission (Kentucky Futurity)
- Extasy, dual gaited, won Kentucky Futurity for pacers at two (world race record for 2yo pacers of 2:10½US, unbeaten for 29 years) and for trotters at three. Extasy was 3×3 to Hambletonian with the two greatest broodmare sires of her time, Mambrino Patchen and Pilot Jr. present in her pedigree. Extasy left Ethel Volo (by Binvolo) dam of :
1) Ethelinda (Kentucky Futurity) – dam of a) McLin Hanover (Kentucky Futurity, Hambletonian) before export to Italy where successful sire (dam sire of Smokey Eric, sire of Nevada Smoke – NSW Derby, SA Cup); b) Mimzy, grand dam of Stenographer (set five world records at two, six at three when she won on 23 occasions from 32 starts), full brother and sister Adios Pick (sire 620 winners, 36 in $100k list, $18.8m) and Dotties Pick, winner 42 of 118 races (dam of Armbro Hurricane, Eagle Armbro); 4th dam of Armbro Nesbit (dam sire of Beach Towel); 5th dam of Armbro Emerson ($1.4m, multiple Group winner, dam sire of Bettors Delight, No Pan Intended, Roll With Joe); 6th dam of Goalfish (Yonkers Trot), Hi Ho Silverwheels (millionaire), Express Ride ($1.456m, multiple Group winner NA/Europe, sire)
2) Ethelinda’s half-sister Petrex was dam of Castleton Farms Spencer (Kentucky Futurity, Hambletonian; broodmare sire of Florican, Light Brigade, leading sire and broodmare sire in NZ), Miss Tilly (Hambletonian), Scott Frost (first trotting Triple Crown winner), Spencer Scott (Kentucky Futurity, Hambletonian; sire of Rodney – winner 47 of 69 races, leading sire of Duke Rodney, Elaine Rodney, Tie Silk, dam sire of Lindy‘s Pride – Triple Crown)
3) Pleasant Thought, dam of Nedda, a granddaughter of
Extasy, won twenty three of her forty three races becoming the second trotting mare after Lou Dillon to enter the two minute list. Her T1:58¼TT beat the nineteen year old world record of Lou Dillon and lasted sixteen years before beaten by Rosalind’s T1:57¼TT. Nedda’s descendants include :
– dam of Meda (Kentucky Futurity)
– grand dam of Mighty Ned, twice winner of Prix d’Amerique and other European Gp1’s; Sue Adios and Meadow Connie founded successful family branches
– 3rd dam of pacing star Good Time (Little Brown Jug, winner of 78 of 112 races, successful/productive stud career – Best of All (Little Brown Jug/sire of Boyden Hanover), Colombia George, Race Time (Cane Pace, Messenger Stakes, sire/dam sire Butler BG, Chairman of the Board, Dragons Lair, Ellamony, Magical Mike, Miles McCool); Good Time’s major influence was as broodmare sire),
– 6th dam of Big Towner from Olympia, granddaughter of Nedda (sire of Walton Hanover – Hi Ho Silverwheels, Sting Lika Bee, Sassy Sarah, dam sire of NZ Cup winner Arden Rooney); champion pacing mare Handle With Care (Jugette, won 53 of 99 races, grand dam of Griddle – Geraldine Cup)
– 7th dam of pacing mare Tender Loving Care (Milton Stakes)
– 8th dam of Electric Yankee (millionaire, Adios Pace), Artistic Pleasure (Fan Hanover – 3f), Hot Lead (millionaire, Meadowlands Pace)
In Australasia, Jane Hunt’s family descendants have included; in New Zealand :
- Highland Gift (3rd dam Extasy) – dam of Castletons Queen and hence responsible for “Castleton” breed such as Sir Castleton (Rowe Cup, ID Trot G/F), Castletons Pride (ID Trot G/F), Castletons King, Castletons Mission etc
- National Glory, NZSS – 3
- Atone (4th dam Extasy) – dam of Johnny Gee (Dominion Hcp, dam sire of Rowe Cup winners Eastburn Grant, Gee du Jour); her descendants include millionaires Has the Answers (Aus Pacing C/S), Golden Reign (AUS/VIC Derbies, Truer Memorial, TAS Pacing C/S, Victoria/SA Cup, ID Grand Final), Nemisis (second fastest ever NZ pacer in NA – 1:48.1US – Nike Franco 1:48.0US), Triliner, Terrorway
while in Australia other family members to excel include millionaire Sting Lika Bee (Hunter Cup), Blonde Brigade (NSW Trotters Derby), Bonny Regina (VIC Trotters Derby).
Stallions tracing to Jane Hunt to have stood in Australasia include :
- Armbro Del (Alias Armbro, Ar Miss, Armbro Lady, Belmers Image, Hands Down; dam sire of Armalight, Armbro Wings, Brabham, Brad Adios, Chiola Cola, Directorship, Family Pride, Flame Up, Highwood, Montana Vance, Pompallier, Tuapeka Star)
- Armbro Hurricane (Hurriana, Rustic Zephyr; dam sire of Aqua Caliente)
- Sly Yankee (Forto Prontezza, Royal Illusion; dam sire of Jack Brandon)
- Able Bye Bye (Satin Shoes; dam sire of Pacific)
- Keystone Salute (trotters Starlight Josh, Will Trapper)
- Eagle Armbro (dam sire of Simon Katz)
- Whata Baron (dam sire of Fake Spirit)
Jane Hunt‘s family is the tenth most successful producer of Classic Winners.
They were the leading source of two minute speed when the first hundred of each gait were being set (3 pacers, 8 trotters) and by 1977 had one hundred two minute performers of their own, only the fourth maternal family to achieve this.
The family was the third greatest source of 1:55 speed in North America (leader was Minnehaha) and second (to Jesse Pepper) among the first hundred performers to earn one hundred thousand dollars. There are currently fifteen million dollar stake earners (12 pacers including Has The Answers, Golden Reign and Sting Lika Bee, 4 trotters) in the family, with recent star pacing mare Southwind Tempo ($2.396m) leading the way. Southwind Tempo was voted Filly Pacer of the Year at three and Mare Pacer of the Year two years later. She became a world record holder at five with her 1:48.3 on a 5/8 track in 2009.
The greatest performing progeny of the family are Good Time with twenty two Classic Race wins, Southwind Tempo with sixteen and Hall of Fame mare Handle With Care with thirteen. The fastest family members are Hurrikane Kingcole 1:47.3 and To Dream On T1:52.1.
This concludes the series on North America’s leading families. Whilst there are many more NA families that have exerted an influence over our bloodlines in Australasia, this series has been restricted to reviewing what are arguably the ten leading NA maternal families.
In time it is proposed to compile a similar series reviewing the leading Australasian maternal families. This is likely to be next year.
Peter Craig
16 March 2018
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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