Sire and son elected to Minnesota hall of fame

Columbus, MN – Pacing stallion Voracious Hanover (Dragon Again) and his richest son Stuckey Dote are both set to be installed into the Minnesota Harness Racing Hall of Fame at the MHRI annual meeting and awards banquet on Saturday (Feb. 17) at Running Aces Casino, Hotel and Racetrack in Columbus.

Voracious Hanover, who will be installed onto the Immortals list, was one of the most productive pacing stallions to stand in Minnesota to-date. He was owned in Minnesota by Joel, Merlin and Kyle Van Otterloo and Erica Vickery.

He was out of the Bo Knows Jate mare Varbo, and was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. He was campaigned during his racing career by trainer Ben Stafford for owners Kathleen Stafford and John Heckler.

Voracious Hanover won multiple legs of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at both two and three, and also won a leg of the Keystone Classic at age three. His racing career spanned 6 years from 2004 to 2009, during which time he amassed earnings of $299,119 and took his career mark of 1:51f as a sophomore.

His prolific breeding career in Minnesota began with the 2009 breeding season and his last active season was 2015. Sadly, he passed away before the 2016 breeding season. In total, Voracious Hanover sired 66 starters from 90 registered foals, with 38 two minute performers and 29 performers in 1:55 or better.

His progeny have collectively earned over $4.8 million to-date, with his top four earners including Stuckey Dote ($470,157), Cruzin Coco ($366,764), Swagasaurusrex ($338,069), and SB Bodacious ($322,043). His fastest performer to-date has been Swagasaurusrex, who took a mark of 1:49.1s in 2017.

Stuckey Dote will be installed into the living Hall of Fame after a brilliant career on the racetrack where he won 46 races and posted 95 top-three finishes from 165 starts.

Stuckey Dote, a foal of 2013, is out of the Artsplace mare Missy Artsie and is a homebred for breeder/owner Merlin Van Otterloo. The strapping black gelding was a star on the track in Minnesota right from the beginning and went on to rack-up a record five Minnesota Night of Champions victories over his eight seasons on the track which spanned from 2015 through 2023.

Stuckey Dote also took his talents on the road across the Midwest and was able to compete at the top levels in Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky, and took his career mark of 1:50.3f at Scioto Downs at age six in 2019. His fastest Minnesota win (1:51.1) came at Running Aces in 2021 at age eight. Brett Ballinger was the regular trainer for Stuckey Dote during most of his racing campaign.

Stuckey Dote was a war horse who bounced back from illness and injury many times throughout his career. He did not race in 2022 due to a broken foot, but made a comeback in 2023 at age ten, finding his way back to the winner’s circle to score his 46th career win on August 29, then he just-missed while second by a neck in his next start and then was a fast-closing third beaten only one length in his final career start in the Minnesota-sired aged consolation race on September 15.

Both Voracious Hanover and Stuckey Dote, along with all of the other 2023 award winners will be celebrated at the (Feb 17) banquet.

by Darin Gagne, for Minnesota Harness Racing