Grove City, OH — Elver Hanover, the 2019 Ohio 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year, has been named the 2019 Ohio Horse of the Year.

Elver Hanover was named Ohio’s Horse of the Year after a stellar freshman campaign in the Buckeye State and beyond. Conrad Photo.

Elver Hanover, a son of Yankee Cruiser and Edra Hanover, won all nine of his starts for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership group of the Burke Racing Stable, Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, earning $363,450.

A world champion by way of a 1:48.3 win in the first division of the $324,800 Stay Hungry Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Colt Pace at The Red Mile, Elver Hanover also won the Ohio Triple Crown which consists of the Ohio Sire Stakes Final, the Ohio Breeder’s Championship and the Ohio State Fair Stakes.

Bred at Hanover Shoe Farms, Elver Hanover’s Ohio earnings ($288,600) was almost double of the next closest colt.

Mickey Burke of the Burke Racing Stable says the honor was well deserved:

“It is very rare that you see a horse go nine-for-nine, lead the state and set world records.”

“There is something special about Elver Hanover,” says part-owner Jablonsky. “He’s a gifted horse. He’s very fast and good gaited. He really knows how to win and get the job done.”

Elver Hanover and his connections were honored at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association and United States Trotting Association’s District 1 Annual Awards Banquet on Jan. 18 in Columbus, Ohio.