Mad Max Hanover and Night Hawk each needed big points in Saturday’s (August 27) $137,952 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows to secure spots in the championship. They got exactly that, as each captured a division in the event, known as the Tarport Effrat, for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

Mad Max Hanover is a long-winded, long-striding Always B Miki-Mayhem Seelster gelding whose lack of gate quickness sometimes gets him in bad spots. Thus, Tim Tetrick was all over him early to get him to the point. 

“Off the car, he’s not the quickest. It takes him a little while to get there,” confirmed Jake Leamon, who trains Mad Max Hanover for Marvin Rounick. “Tim said he was more tired than the horse was getting him out of there.” 

He was unassailable once on the lead, scoring in a sharp 1:49. Layton Hanover and Captain Cowboy dead-heated for second, two-and-a-quarter lengths back. Mad Max Hanover now has banked $451,257. 

Night Hawk waited for the field to settle a bit before rushing to the lead for David Miller. He held off the first-over Fourever Boy by a neck in 1:50.3, with Greatest Ending third. 

Trainer Brian Brown recently upped the dosage of ulcer medication for the son of Betting Line-Night Music, and Miller said he noticed a difference.

“He acted like he was feeling much better,” Miller said. “I didn’t want to get away third, so I thought I’d better do something. So I moved him."

Leeman Lombardo Stable, Joe Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners and Acadia Farms campaign Night Hawk, who lifted his lifetime earnings north of $300,000.  

On Friday, Tetrick swept both splits of a PASS for freshman colt and gelding trotters. He brought his broom with him again Saturday, taking both divisions of the sub-feature with Jo Pas Warrior and Hecandancencruise.

Tetrick passed up an early tuck with Jo Pas Warrior to pursue the lead. That proved a winning decision, as the son of Sweet Lou-Benearthebeach rolled home in 1:50, matching the stake record established by He’s Rockin in 2019. Code Cracker was second, beaten one-and-a-quarter lengths, while Atlas Hanover completed the ticket.

“I raced him out of a hole at Pocono, and he had to be first up. I didn’t want that again,” Tetrick said. “I wanted to be up close. I didn’t want to have to be out in the turns.

Emposimato Stables owns Jo Pas Warrior.

The Meadows will host all four $260,000 finals for three-year-olds on Saturday, Sept. 3.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday when the program features a pair of carryovers: $3,358.46 in the final-race Super Hi-5, $358.46 in the Jackpot Pick 5 (race 4). First post is 12:45 p.m.

(MSOA)