Millionaire Sire Rocknroll Hanover Euthanized in New Jersey

CREAM RIDGE, NJ— Multi-million dollar sire Rocknroll Hanover, sire of 2010 Horse of the Year Rock N Roll Heaven and other million-dollar pacers, was euthanized at Perretti Farms Thursday (March 14) afternoon. Shipping home from breeding with a mare in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, he showed signs of discomfort early Thursday morning. Rocknroll Hanover’s stomach appeared distended and was sent to Mid-Atlantic Equine Hospital. Dr. Rodney Belgrave revealed to Peretti Farms that the condition was irreversible.

Rocknroll Hanover winning the 2005 Meadowlands Pace

“They believe his condition was a type of gastric impaction, where the stomach fills but doesn’t empty,” said Bob Marks, directeor of marketing at Perretti Farms. “Losing Rocknroll [Hanover] feels just like the loss of the horses in the barn fire here several years ago.”

Marks added that when Rocknroll Hanover was bred on Wednesday in Pennsylvania that, “He gave us a huge amount of semen and seemed fine. This morning they noticed he wasn’t right and while he was eating they said that’s because since their [Rocknroll Hanover] stomach gets larger, they just keep eating.”

Rocknroll Hanover was euthanized at age 11. Foaled on April 12, 2002, Brett Pelling took up the training of the soon-to-be star pacer. The son of Western Ideal, foaled by Rich N Elegant, won major stakes such as the Metro Pace at age two for his owners Jeff Snyder and group of Lothlorien.

Rock N Roll Heaven, sired by Rocknroll Hanover, winning
the Little Brown Jug in 2010

The Western Ideal colt showed his real talent on the track at age three. In his sophomore campaign, he captured the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace and other major stakes on the 2005 calendar. Perretti Farms bought a share of the star pacer and sent him to stud in New Jersey. He retired at the end of 2005 with a lifetime mark of 1:48.3 and $2,754,038 in career earnings.

Rocknroll Hanover stood stud for eight years up to his euthanization today. He’s sired such millionaires as Rock N Roll Heaven, Put On A Show, A Rocknroll Dance, Rocklamation and Ticket To Rock, all of which have a lifetime mark sub-1:51 miles.