It's not often that a pair of maiden rookie trotters look like seasoned veterans in victory, but that's the impression left after Saturday's 2021 Balanced Image eliminations at Hanover Raceway.

Both eliminations broke the 2:00 mark, and both eliminations will go down in the Hanover record books. And if past performance is any indication, both of the elimination winners have more to offer in next week's rich final.

Sea Can was the fastest elimination winner, capitalizing on hot fractions set by 6/5 choice Rolling In Clover (Guy Gagnon) in the second $5,000 Balanced Image elimination to post a double-digit win margin for driver Bob McClure and trainer Mark Etsell. A son of Muscle Mass - SOS Respect, Sea Can was making his sixth career start and tripped the timer in a sharp 1:59.2, winning by more than 11 lengths. Rounding out the field and advancing to next week's final will be Rolling In Clover, CM Savewill GL (Nick Steward) and Three Finger Pour (Phil Hudon).

Etsell co-owns Sea Can along with breeder Terry Devos of Langton, Ont. and Peter Porter of Port Dover, Ont. With the win, Sea Can sports a summary of 1-1-2 from six starts with $15,033. With the maiden breaking win, Sea Can etched his name in the record books as the fastest rookie gelding trotter in Hanover history, falling just one fifth shy of Georgies Pockets' 1:59.1 two-year-old male trotter mark.

The connections of Three Finger Pour will likely be looking for a driver after Hudon won the first elimination with filly Lilys Lass in impressive fashion. Lillys Lass made every call a winning one, striding out to win by more than five lengths over Allisonann Hanover (McClure), Stonebridge Zeus (Trevor Henry) and Sir Ballykeel (Scott Young) in 1:59.4. That mile time matched the track mark of Princess Lilly set in 2012.

Pat Hunt trains Lilys Lass and co-owns the daughter of Angus Hall - Priceless Lass along with Goldfinger Stables of Thornhill, Ont. The win was her first in four starts, lifting her bankroll to $17,460.

The top four from each elimination advance to the 2021 Balanced Image Final, slated for Saturday, August 28 at Hanover.

To view the results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Hanover Raceway, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.