Nancy Hanks (1886–1915) was an undefeated Standardbred harness racing trotting mare named for Abraham Lincoln's mother.
She was foaled in 1886 on what is now known as Poplar Hill Farm, near Lexington, Kentucky. Bred by Mr. Hart Boswell, she was sired by Happy Medium, and 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" in a bicycle sulky,. breaking all previous records. Sunol had owned the mark of 2 minutes 8.25 seconds in 1891. She lost one race heat, but was undefeated in her races and was inducted into the Standardbred Hall of Fame.
Nancy Hanks died in 1915 and is buried in the Hamburg Place equine cemetery. A statue of her was created by sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey.
A passenger train that ran from Atlanta to Savannah from 1947 to 1971 was named in her honor.
Famous quotes containing the word nancy:
“Miss Nancy Ellicott smoked
And danced all the modern dances;
And her aunts were not quite sure how they felt about it,
But they knew that it was modern.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)