Back when I first started with harness racing in 1960, the leading pacing stallions were Adios, Tar Heel, Knight Dream, Poplar Byrd, Gene Abbe and Sampson Hanover. The leading trotting stallions were Hoot Mon. Star's Pride, Rodney, Victory Song and Darnley. Then there were the double-gaited types like Victory Song, Worthy Boy, Darn Flashy and Diller Hanover, equally adept at getting top trotters and pacers. Certainly Hoot Mon and Star's Pride produced more than their share of what used to be called side wheelers as the parade of Mighty Tides, Egyptian Prides and Horton Hanover's suggested. Of the pacing sires, Adios can still be found in a direct male line in today's pedigrees. That is not astounding considering he may have been the best "pure stallion" ever, dominating the breed to such an extent that often his get would finish 1-2-3 in major pacing stakes. He left dozens of siring sons like Bret Hanover, Bullet Hanover, Adios Butler, Adios Harry, Adios Vic, etc., many of whom were well-received. While his line does exist today, it got there by the unlikeliest of sources. One Adios son Henry T Adios, a great colt and aged pacer, preceded Meadow Skipper at Stone Creek in Kentucky, but other than siring Silent Majority was not a successful sire. Silent Majority was no better, but he did sire Abercrombie, who in turn produced Artsplace and Life Sign. Of those two, Artsplace has endured through sons Art Major and Artiscape, the latter responsible for Yankee Cruiser, who then produced Sweet Lou. Bret Hanover meanwhile managed Warm Breeze, that one unsuccessful save for one son named Falcon Seelster, he responsible for the current day McArdle. One might note McArdle's Southern Hemisphere son Tintin In America is responsible for super-daughter Shartin N. McArdle's American son McWicked will get his chances as well. There are no male line vestiges of Tar Heel, Knight Dream, Poplar Byrd or Gene Abbe in today's pacing breed scenario, though there has been an unlikely resurgence of Sampson Hanover this particular millennium. Sampson Hanover, basically a double-gaited siring son of Volomite, did sire Sampson Direct from a Billy Direct mare, who later in life sired Direct Scooter from a trotting-bred Noble Victory mare no less. Direct Scooter begat Matt's Scooter, who in turn begat Mach Three, who gave us Somebeachsomewhere. 'The Beach' may be on the verge of imprinting the breed as did Meadow Skipper and Most Happy Fella in the 70's. 'The Beach' is not only the sire of the brilliant Captaintreacherous but other sons like Sunshine Beach and So Surreal are showing well these days. Waiting in the wings are the well-received Downbytheseaside and Huntsville. Then of course there is Papi Rob Hanover, who will likely be heard from, and suddenly the "Sampson Hanover" siring line is the hottest thing in captivity in 2020. Of the trotters, there are vestiges of Star's Pride (through Super Bowl), Rodney (through Speedster-Speedy Scot-Speedy Crown), and Victory Song through Noble Victory, although Victory Song took a rather unlikely route to the modern days. Noble Victory was a good, though not great, sire as vestiges through Noble Gesture, Mystic Park and Mack Lobell all had fertility problems. He did sire ABC Freight, who in turn produced the out-casted Garland Lobell, who wound up in Quebec until brought back by Alan J Leavitt, then at Walnut Hall limited. Garland Lobell had this "thing" with sister broodmares Amour Angus and Canne Angus, both major contributors to the current trotting scene. From Amour Angus came Conway Hall, Angus Hall and Andover Hall. Conway Hall sired Triple Crown winner Windsong's Legacy, in turn sire of today's brilliant Chapter Seven. Chapter Seven offers the anticipated Walner, whose first crop will race next year, while another son, Gimpanzee, will certainly get an opportunity soon. Andover Hall has the Indiana trotting leader Swan For All to his credits along with the soon-to-be heard from Nuncio. Canne Angus meanwhile does not have an outstanding male son but daughter Canland Hall is responsible for the enduring Cantab Hall to Self Possessed. Super Bowl, through American Winner- Credit Winner-Crazed, is still around, while American Winner's son that got away Viking Kronos is active in Europe. As great as Speedy Crown was, it took a grandson Baltic Speed through Speedy Somolli to come up with Valley Victory, in turn responsible for Muscles Yankee, sire of current superstar Muscle Hill. Valley Victory himself succumbed to infertility but did get the equally infertile Victory Dream, who gave us Self Possessed, responsible for Cantab Hall, in turn sire of Father Patrick and grandsire of Greenshoe. Valley Victory son Muscles Yankee, from a Speedy Crown mare, is also the sire of Canadian leader Muscle Mass, while number-one son Muscle Hill is currently sending a bevy of potential siring stallions like Trixton, Tactical Landing, Bar Hopping, Southwind Frank, etc to the current scene. It remains to be seen how enduring Muscle Hill will ultimately prove but his sons will have their opportunities. Getting back to the pacing scene, it was Meadow Skipper's son Most Happy Fella who solidified his enduring contribution as opposed to his other super-son Albatross, who many considered the better sire at the time. Most Happy Fella currently enjoys three distinct thriving branches through Oil Burner-No Nukes-Western Hanover, Cam Fella-Cams Card Shark-Bettor's Delight and Tyler B-Dragon's Lair-Dragon Again. Incredibly, Albatross, despite super sons like Niatross, Sonsam, B.Gs Bunny, Royce, Praised Dignity, and so many others, cannot be found in the male lineage of today's pacers, though it's possible one may exist in the Southern Hemisphere. Just because some stallions appear "great" doesn't necessarily mean they'll be enduring.