Madison, WI — The Wisconsin Harness Horse Association is proud to announce its second Hall of Fame inductee for the Class of 2025. Millennial, owned by Gabriel & Robert Wand, will be inducted at the Jan. 24 event in Madison.
Millennial was purchased by Gabriel & Robert Wand at the Blooded Horse Sale on Nov. 18, 2020. He was sent to Pompano Park in Florida to race under the direction of Angela Coleman, where he set his lifetime mark of 1:51 and took a beaten time of 1:50.4. Upon Pompano’s closure, he tried his hand in New York and Pennsylvania before coming to Wisconsin to be trained under the care of one of his owners, Gabe Wand.
After a couple months rest and rehabilitation, Millennial went post-ward for the first time under his new Wisconsin trainer and not only did he win at the Knox County Fair, but he also broke the track record, pacing a final quarter in :26.3 to win in 1:56. (The previous track record was 1:58.3.) He went on to win in Rice Lake (1:57.4) before setting out to get his home track record in Mineral Point. Millennial went wire to wire in a blistering 1:55 clocking, shattering the previous 11-year-old track record by three full seconds. This also gave Millennial the honor of pacing the fastest mile ever in the rich history of Wisconsin racing, a record that still stands today.
After his record-breaking performance, he went on to tie his own race mark of 1:51 at Hawthorne Race Course. He also shattered the 23-year-old Richland County Fair track record, this time by two seconds in 2:00.2. Millennial was undefeated in Wisconsin that season, and posted three sub-2:00 miles, something no horse has ever done in Wisconsin. He also earned a spot as the No. 3 pacer in the state that year despite having half of the starts of the first two horses.
In 2022, Millennial came back strong, again going undefeated in Wisconsin. While no track records were to be had that season, he did post two sub-2:00 miles. He finished fourth among the top pacers that season, while winning back-to-back Golden Miss Traveling Trophy for the fastest mile of the year. He also went on to race in the Open Pace at Hawthorne, while also garnering wins at Hawthorne and Dayton Raceway in Ohio.
Millennial was poised to make 2023 a success yet again, beginning with a qualifying race at Mineral Point in 1:59. He went on to win five of six races in Wisconsin (being handed his first and only Wisconsin defeat in Viroqua). He still finished fourth in the point standings again that year, despite being scratched twice that season. Although Millennial did struggle to find tip-top form that year, he did go on to win races at Hawthorne for the third season in a row.
Millennial is arguably one of the best horses to be owned, trained, and raced in Wisconsin. His six sub-2:00 miles are more than any other horse in history. Capturing two track records (including the all-state record) and nearly going undefeated (winning 15 of 16 starts) has been unmatched in Wisconsin history.
For those wishing to attend the banquet and honor Millennial, contact WHHA President Gabe Wand at 608-574-5468 or gabewand@yahoo.com for more information.