Supernova Hanover was the easiest of winners in the $20,270 featured trot on Monday (Aug. 26) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where good weather and a honed racetrack produced fast times all day long. 

Supernova Hanover, a sophomore Greenshoe colt trained by Per Engblom for Engblom Stables LLC, Douglas Sipple, and recent Hall Of Fame honouree Mal Burroughs and his Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC, sat off an initial quarter of :27.4, then was put into play by driver Tyler Buter just before a :57 half. Supernova Hanover, who won in 1:51.3 at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day, went to the lead by midbackstretch, and after that the race was for place, as the colt won by 3-1/4 lengths over Going Green in 1:54.2, which would turn out to be somewhat pedestrian this day.

Supernova Hanover was a good name for the feature race winner on Monday at Pocono (“supernova”: the death of a star, “the largest explosions that take place in space” – NASA). The co-featured trot went in 1:53.1, and six other trots, all for first- or second-level horses, went 1:56 or less. These included three won by driver Koltin Noble, the 20-year-old lefty who combined with trainer Mahlon Martin for two; Noble tied with leading driver Matt Kakaley for the day’s honours.

Another was a 1:55.4 win by the two-year-old trotting gelding The Fix Was In. Just as impressive a freshman, though without the total low time, was a debuting filly for Team Svanstedt, the $275,000 yearling What A Bid Hanover, with whom Sarah Svanstedt circled up four-wide around breaking inside horses to the lead, slowed the tempo, then came home in :27.1 to complete a 1:58 package.

The pacers did their part as well, with a bottom-level event for sidewheelers going in 1:51.1.

At this rate, the $17,000 USD featured pace for developing horses that headlines the 1 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 27) card at The Downs could threaten the 1:50 mark. 

(PHHA / Pocono)