by Dean A. Hoffman

At one time, being in the 2:00 list was quite exclusive. Then it became the 1:55 list. Now even the 1:50 list isn’t quite so exclusive, at least for pacers.

Many of the most exclusive lists in harness racing are changing and falling by the wayside with the steady beat of increasing Standardbred speed.

One list, however, which is still quite exclusive, with only 33 members, is the broodmares with more than one 1:50 performer. These naturally all are pacers, but it cannot be too far in the future before there is a 1:50 list for trotters.

Heading this list is Hanover Shoe Farms’ resplendent matron Rich N Elegant, a daughter of Direct Scooter. Her 1:50 credits are Rocknroll Hanover, Red River Hanover, and Royalflush Hanover. Their accomplishments are so recent that they don’t require repeating. Collectively, her nine foals of racing age have earned almost $5.6 million.

Rich N Elegant may not be done producing extreme speed, as she has a 2-year-old daughter by Western Hanover and a yearling filly by Western Ideal. Overall, however, her daughters have not been as successful on the track as her sons.

She was bred back to Western Ideal last year, and you can be assured that Hanover Shoe Farms would love to have a full-brother to Rocknroll Hanover.

Total Truth, the top money winning pacer of 2006, gave his dam a second 1:50 credit when he scored in 1:49.1 last year. His dam is the good Walton Hanover mare Babe Ruthless, and her other entry in the 1:50 list is Grecian Art p, 5, 1:50.

The recently deceased Nadia Lobell is the dam of two 1:50 pacers in Odds On Dana and Whodunit, both with 1:50 marks on the pace as 4-year-olds.

Listed below are all 33 mares with double 1:50 credits, along with the names and times of their fastest performers.