Nancy Hanks (horse)

Nancy Hanks (1886 – August 16, 1915) was an undefeated Standardbred trotting mare named for Abraham Lincoln's mother. She was the first 2:05 trotter in harness-racing history.^[1]

She was foaled in 1886 on what is now known as Poplar Hill Farm, near Lexington, Kentucky. Bred by Hart Boswell, she was sired by Happy Medium; her dam, Nancy Lee, was by Dictator.

While owned by John Malcolm Forbes, on September 28, 1892, the brown mare trotted a mile in 2 minutes and 4 seconds at Terre Haute's Four Cornered Track with a bicycle sulky, breaking all Sunol's mark of 2 minutes 8.25 seconds set in 1891.^[2] Nancy Hanks lost one race heat (in her first start), but was undefeated in her races. She was inducted into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 1955.^[3]

Nancy Hanks died on August 16, 1915, at age 29, and is buried in the Hamburg Place equine cemetery.^[4] A statue of her was created by sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey.

A passenger train from Atlanta to Savannah from 1947 to 1971 was named in her honor.

Poem about Nancy Hanks Racehorse and Cyclists in 1892

References

1. "To The First Ladies of Harness Racing". Harness Racing Standardbred Community. Retrieved February 25, 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}
2. "The Two-Minute Trotter" (PDF). New York Times. December 9, 1892. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
3. "The Horse Immortals: Gr–Ni". Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
4. "Nancy Hanks through Kenneth Owen inductees". Harness Racing Hall of Fame: US North. Retrieved February 25, 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}