BULLDOG HANOVER

Bulldog Hanover wasn’t just one of the fastest racehorses of his generation – he changed what was thought possible. His career was defined by breathtaking speed, remarkable consistency and an extraordinary will to win, earning his place among the greatest Standardbreds of all time.

Across 37 lifetime starts, he recorded 28 victories and earned $2,789,271, establishing himself as one of the most dominant pacers of the modern era.

As a two-year-old, Bulldog announced his arrival with four wins from six starts, highlighted by a commanding victory in the $250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final in 1:50.2. His freshman season showcased the raw speed and talent that would later make him a household name.

At three, he emerged as one of North America’s leading sophomore pacers, winning 10 races and earning over $680,000. His victories included the Monument Circle, Somebeachsomewhere Stake and three Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events, while lowering his record to an impressive 1:48.0.

It was his four-year-old campaign, however, that elevated Bulldog Hanover from champion to legend. Over an unforgettable 2022 season, he won 14 of 16 starts, earned more than $1.85 million and captured the sport’s biggest prizes, including the Breeders Crown, Canadian Pacing Derby, TVG Open Pace Final, Dan Patch Memorial and Graduate Series Final.

Then came the performance that changed harness racing forever.

His defining moment came in the $500,000 William Haughton Memorial at The Meadowlands.

Starting from barrier eight against the best open pacers in North America, Bulldog Hanover produced one of the most extraordinary performances the sport has ever witnessed, stopping the clock in a breathtaking 1:45.4.

It wasn’t simply a world record – it was a performance many believed was impossible.

At a time when breaking 1:47 was considered exceptional, Bulldog Hanover became the first Standardbred in history to pace a mile in less than 1:46, forever rewriting the record books.

Even more remarkable, it wasn’t an isolated performance. During that historic season, Bulldog Hanover recorded six victories between 1:45.4 and 1:46.4, including four of the nine fastest miles ever paced, proving his record-breaking speed was no fluke – it was sustained excellence.

For three unforgettable weeks during the summer of 2022, Bulldog Hanover didn’t just lower the bar – he reset it, producing four of the fastest miles ever paced and forever changing the standard by which greatness would be measured.

MAJOR CAREER VICTORIES

At Two

• Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final ($250,000) – 1:50.2
• Ontario Sires Stakes Gold ($107,200) – 1:52.0
• Ontario Sires Stakes Gold ($105,600) – 1:51.4

At Three

• Monument Circle ($220,000) – 1:48.3
• Ontario Sires Stakes Gold ($159,600) – 1:50.0
• Ontario Sires Stakes Gold ($158,800) – 1:49.0
• Ontario Sires Stakes Gold ($156,800) – 1:49.1
• Somebeachsomewhere Stake ($85,250) – 1:48.2
• North America Cup Elimination ($50,000) – 1:49.0

At Four

• William Haughton Memorial ($500,000) – World Record 1:45.4
• Breeders Crown ($810,000) – 1:46.4
• Canadian Pacing Derby ($650,000) – 1:46.4
• TVG Open Pace Final ($345,000) – Stakes Record 1:47.3
• Dan Patch Memorial ($315,000) – 1:48.1
• Graduate Series Final ($250,000) – 1:46.1
• Dayton Pacing Derby ($250,000) – 1:50.1
• Hoosier Park Pacing Derby ($200,000) – 1:46.3
• Roll With Joe Pace ($99,500) – 1:46.0
• Graduate Series Leg ($50,000) – 1:47.0

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• World Champion & Fastest Standardbred Ever – World Record 1:45.4
• First Horse in History to be Unanimously Voted USA Horse of the Year
• First Horse in History to be Unanimously Voted USA Pacer of the Year
• Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inductee (2023)
• Led All Harness Horses in Earnings in 2022 ($1,858,210)
• Winner of 28 Races & $2.79 Million in Lifetime Earnings
• Winner of Four of the Nine Fastest Miles Ever Paced
• Recorded Six Victories Between 1:45.4 and 1:46.4
• Breeders Crown Champion
• Canadian Pacing Derby Champion
• Dan Patch Memorial Champion
• Graduate Series Champion

“He’s got unbelievable stamina – there is no end to him. After pacing those incredible miles, he wanted to go around again.”

– Dexter Dunn, Hall of Fame Driver

Bulldog Hanover has made an explosive start to his stud career, with his first North American crop already producing elite performers, stakes winners and outstanding commercial results.

In his final season of racing, Bulldog Hanover served a limited book of mares, resulting in a first crop of just 54 foals. Despite those restricted numbers, he quickly established himself among North America’s leading young sires, finishing second on the Rookie Sires Average Earnings List in 2025.

From that first crop alone, Bulldog Hanover has produced 37 starters whose combined earnings have already exceeded $1.69 million. He is the sire of 8 performers in 1:53, 14 in 1:55, 21 in 1:57 and 27 in 1:59, highlighting the speed, consistency and earning power that defined his own record-breaking racing career.

His first foals raced as two-year-olds in 2025 and have continued to excel as three-year-olds in 2026. Headlined by standout fillies Shes A Bulldog and Daya, the crop has produced major stakes performers, six-figure earners and winners at the highest levels of North American racing.

The progeny have excelled in many of North America’s premier juvenile races, including the Three Diamonds Stakes, Battle of the Belles, Champlain Stakes and the highly competitive Ontario Sires Stakes program, demonstrating both speed and durability against the best of their generation.

Importantly for Australasian breeders, Bulldog Hanover’s oldest Southern Hemisphere progeny are currently only yearlings. With his first North American runners already establishing themselves among the best of their generation, excitement continues to build around what his Southern Hemisphere crops can achieve in the years ahead.

Combining elite racetrack performance, exceptional early progeny results and outstanding commercial appeal, Bulldog Hanover is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young pacing sires in the world.

YEARLING SALE RESULTS

The marketplace has responded strongly to Bulldog Hanover’s progeny from the very beginning.

His first North American crop generated more than $2.1 million in yearling sales, averaging $60,171 and selling up to $350,000. Demand increased even further with his second crop, which generated $6.615 million in sales from 101 yearlings and improved to an average of $65,495.

The second crop featured 21 six-figure yearlings, including a sale-topping filly that realised $485,000, highlighting the growing confidence breeders, trainers and buyers have in Bulldog Hanover’s offspring.

Interest has also been strong in Australasia. While only a limited number of Southern Hemisphere yearlings have been offered to date, the quality of stock presented has been exceptional. Bulldog Hanover’s first Australian yearlings sold for up to $70,000, with buyers responding positively to their outstanding type, athleticism and presence.

With strong sale-ring demand across both hemispheres and impressive racetrack results already emerging, Bulldog Hanover is proving to be as commercially attractive as he was brilliant on the track.

TOP PERFORMERS

SHES A BULLDOG  p,2,1:51.1 ($564,213)
Winner of the prestigious Three Diamonds (G1), runner-up in the Breeders Crown Final (G1) and Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. Stakes winner at three and one of the leading fillies of her generation.

DAYA  p,2,1:50.4f ($552,850)
Winner of the Battle of the Belles Final, Eternal Camnation Stakes and multiple Ontario Sires Stakes events. Stakes winner at both two and three with earnings exceeding $550,000.

WINDOR  p,2,1:51.2 ($245,659)
Champlain Stakes winner and Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final placegetter, continuing to perform at stakes level as a three-year-old.

REDLAND ROCKET MAN (Granny Hanover) p,2,1:52.0 ($195,705)
Ontario Sires Stakes performer with a three-year-old speed badge of 1:49.1.

MANADOR  p,2,1:54.4f ($142,488)
Multiple Massachusetts stakes winner and one of the leading earners from Bulldog Hanover’s first crop.

ODDS ON BULLFROG p,2,1:51.4 ($94,060)
Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Final winner and multiple race winner.

DAX SEELSTER  p,3,1:52.2 ($78,617)
Kindergarten Classic winner and Ontario Sires Stakes winner at three.

Few young stallions have made a stronger start. From a first crop that is only now entering its three-year-old season, Bulldog Hanover has already produced stakes winners, major race performers, six-figure earners and multiple sale toppers. His progeny have demonstrated speed, athleticism and competitiveness from an early age, mirroring the qualities that made their sire the fastest Standardbred in history.

A Pedigree Built to Produce Champions

Bulldog Hanover possesses one of the most complete and commercially attractive pedigrees available to Australasian breeders today.

The world’s fastest Standardbred combines the proven speed and toughness of the Shadow Play sire line with the immense broodmare influence of the legendary Artsplace, all backed by one of the most influential maternal families in modern harness racing. It is a pedigree that has consistently produced elite racehorses, millionaire performers, classic winners and successful stallions across multiple generations.

By Hall of Fame Sire Shadow Play

Bulldog Hanover is a son of Shadow Play p,1:47.4 ($1.5 million), a World Champion and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame stallion whose progeny have earned more than $70 million worldwide.

Shadow Play established himself as one of North America’s leading speed sires, producing elite performers across every age and class. His progeny are renowned for their speed, toughness and consistency, with Bulldog Hanover becoming the greatest son of the stallion by rewriting the record books with his world record 1:45.4 mile.

The Influence of Artsplace

On the dam side, Bulldog Hanover is out of BJ’s Squall p,3,1:53.1 ($261,750), a stakes-winning daughter of the legendary Artsplace p,1:49.2 ($3 million).

Few stallions have shaped the modern Standardbred more profoundly than Artsplace. A Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, he sired more than 270 performers in 1:55, over 300 stakes winners, and progeny with earnings exceeding $170 million. His influence as a broodmare sire has been equally remarkable, with countless elite performers carrying his blood through the maternal line.

The Shadow Play – Artsplace combination proved the perfect blend of speed, athleticism and class, producing Bulldog Hanover, the fastest Standardbred in history.

One of Harness Racing’s Great Maternal Families

The true depth of Bulldog Hanover’s pedigree comes through his female family.

His granddam, Lady Ashlee Ann p,3,1:51.3, is recognised as one of the great broodmares of the modern era and was inducted into the Living Horse Hall of Fame. Generation after generation, this extraordinary family has produced elite performers regardless of sire, proving its ability to consistently transmit class, durability and speed.

Among the stars descending from this remarkable family are:

• Betterthancheddar p,1:48 ($1.63 million) – World Champion and internationally successful sire

• Courtly Choice p,1:47.1 ($1.35 million) – Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug winner, now a successful sire

• Ashlee’s Big Guy p,1:50.4f ($978,168)

• Artist’s View p,1:49.4 ($795,750)

• Numerous additional stakes winners, millionaires and successful producers throughout North America.

Importantly, this family has not only produced exceptional racehorses – it has repeatedly produced successful stallions. For breeders, that is one of the strongest indicators of long-term breeding potential.

Why It Matters

Elite stallions are rarely built on race performance alone.

The greatest sires combine exceptional ability with generations of proven genetics, and Bulldog Hanover delivers both. He brings together a Hall of Fame sire, one of the most influential broodmare sires in history, and a maternal family that has consistently produced champions, millionaires and future stallions.

It is this depth of pedigree, combined with his own world-record performance and outstanding start at stud, that makes Bulldog Hanover one of the most exciting young pacing stallions ever offered to Australasian breeders.

Built To Cross

One of Bulldog Hanover’s greatest strengths as a stallion is his pedigree flexibility.

Unlike many modern pacing stallions, Bulldog Hanover carries no duplicated ancestors within the first four generations of his pedigree. By Shadow Play from an Artsplace mare and descending from the influential Lady Ashlee Ann family, he offers breeders a rare opportunity to introduce fresh blood while maintaining access to some of the most successful pacing families in the world.

In today’s Australasian breeding landscape, where many broodmare populations are saturated with Bettor’s Delight, Art Major, Somebeachsomewhere and Mach Three blood, Bulldog Hanover provides breeders with valuable mating options that are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

The Proven Shadow Play x Artsplace Formula

Bulldog Hanover is himself the product of one of the most successful modern pacing crosses.

His sire, Shadow Play, and dam sire, Artsplace, combined to produce Bulldog Hanover, the fastest Standardbred ever to pace a mile. The Shadow Play–Artsplace cross has long been recognised for producing speed, athleticism and commercial appeal, with Hanover Shoe Farms identifying it as a proven nick long before Bulldog Hanover emerged as a world champion.

That success is reinforced by his maternal family. The Lady Ashlee Ann family has repeatedly crossed successfully with Artsplace-line stallions, producing performers such as Artist’s View, Courtly Choice and Paper Art, while also generating major performers by Bettor’s Delight and Western Hanover-line sires.

The result is a pedigree that combines proven crossing power with exceptional genetic flexibility.

Why This Matters

Open-bred stallions give breeders options.

Some breeders will choose to preserve Bulldog Hanover’s natural outcross advantage by mating him with mares carrying little or no close-up Artsplace, Western Hanover or Matt’s Scooter blood.

Others may choose to deliberately reinforce proven speed influences through carefully planned linebreeding patterns. Because Bulldog Hanover’s own pedigree is so open, breeders have greater freedom to introduce these influences without creating excessive inbreeding.

This flexibility allows breeders to tailor matings to suit their own broodmare band, commercial goals and long-term breeding strategy.

Crosses Of Gold – Early Results

Although Bulldog Hanover’s first crop is only now entering its three-year-old season, the early USTA Crosses of Gold data is already providing valuable insight into the mare lines responding most strongly to the world’s fastest Standardbred.

While sample sizes remain relatively small, two broodmare sire lines have already established meaningful official records.

Captaintreacherous mares currently represent Bulldog Hanover’s strongest official cross, producing 5 foals, 3 winners, 2 performers in 1:55 and 2 performers with earnings exceeding $100,000, headed by stakes performer Redland Rocket Man.

Bettor’s Delight mares have also shown encouraging results, producing 6 foals, 3 winners and 2 performers in 1:55, while continuing to represent one of the safest and most commercially attractive mating options available to Australasian breeders.

Perhaps most encouraging is the diversity of Bulldog Hanover’s early performers. Rather than relying on a single dominant nick, his best progeny have emerged from a wide variety of broodmare sire lines:

• Daya – from a Somebeachsomewhere mare

• Shes A Bulldog – from an A Rocknroll Dance mare

• Windor – from a Sportswriter mare

• Dax Seelster – from a Sportswriter mare

• Redland Rocket Man – from a Captaintreacherous mare

• Odds On Bullfrog – from a Captaintreacherous mare

• Manador – from a Mach Three mare

This breadth of success suggests Bulldog Hanover is proving to be a highly versatile sire capable of crossing successfully with a wide range of mare families, a trait that is particularly valuable for Australian and New Zealand breeders.

Ideal Australasian Mating Opportunities

Based on pedigree analysis, family history and early USTA Crosses of Gold results, Bulldog Hanover should appeal strongly to breeders with mares by:

• Bettor’s Delight

• Art Major

• Somebeachsomewhere

• Captaintreacherous

• American Ideal

• Mach Three

• Rock N Roll Heaven

• Vincent

• Sweet Lou

• Sportswriter

Captaintreacherous-line mares currently represent the strongest official early cross, while Bettor’s Delight-line mares offer a proven blend of commercial appeal and family compatibility.

Somebeachsomewhere and Mach Three mares provide opportunities to reinforce proven speed influences, while Art Major and Sportswriter mares create a deliberate linebreeding pattern to the highly successful Artsplace branch that already features prominently throughout Bulldog Hanover’s maternal family.

For breeders seeking to maximise pedigree flexibility, mares carrying little close-up Artsplace, Matt’s Scooter or Western Hanover blood offer the opportunity to preserve Bulldog Hanover’s rare outcross profile.

A Stallion For The Future

The world’s fastest Standardbred is more than an elite racehorse and emerging sire. He is also one of the most genetically flexible young stallions available to Australasian breeders.

Whether used as a genuine outcross or as part of a carefully planned linebreeding programme, Bulldog Hanover offers breeders access to a pedigree that combines proven speed, elite maternal strength, outstanding commercial appeal and early evidence of broad broodmare compatibility.

For breeders seeking both immediate commercial appeal and long-term breeding potential, Bulldog Hanover presents one of the most exciting mating opportunities in the modern Standardbred industry.