Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Tar Heel

Billy Direct--Leta Long--Volomite
Black horse, Foal of 1948
p,2, 2:00.3; 3,T1:57.2; 4,T1:57 ($110,148)

TarHeel

Tar Heel spent two extraordinary years racing in the early 1950s before retiring to become one of harness racing's top broodmare sires. In fact, many Standardbred pedigree experts consider Tar Heel to be the most influencial broodmare sires in the history of the sport.

Bred by W.N. Reynolds of R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Company fame, Tar Heel won 18 of 29 starts at two for trainer-driver Delvin Miller, earning $52,519 in a day when that amount meant something. He won the Little Pat Stakes, the Geers, an American National, the Goshen Cup and the Lexington Stakes as a freshman and recorded a two-year-old mark of 2:00.3. The following season, at three, he won 17 of 31 outings and took a time trial mark of 1:57.2 with Miller in the bike at Lexington in the fall of 1951. He won, among others, the Little Brown Jug, an American National Stake, the Review Futurity, the Geers, the Matrons and a heat of the Horseman Futurity.

Lawrence Sheppard purchased Tar Heel in the fall of 1952 at the Tattersalls for Hanover Shoe Farms, and the horse was on his way to his new home in Pennsylvania. From 1954 through 1981 Tar Heel sired the winners of over $39 million. He produced 99 $100,000 winners and from 986 starters had 690 that paced in 2:05 or faster, with 171 timed in 2:00 or better and two 1:55 performers.

Tar Heel's richest performer was Lavern Hanover, a winner of $868,557 who won the Little Brown Jug and paced in 1:56.3 at three. His fastest was the speedy Seabert hanover, who paced in 1:53.3 at four, earning $97,468. Tar Heel's most well-known performer is perhaps Nansemond, a winner of $448,436 with a four-year-old record of 1:56.1f--also a Little Brown Jug winner (known for defeating the mighty Albatross in that race). Nansemond's full brother is Isle Of Wight (p,T1:56.2 $493,514), who is Tar Heel's eighth fastest performer and his fifth richest son.

Tar Heel died in June of 1982 at the ripe old age of 34.