Brue Hanover was a brute force at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, June 14, hanging tough to win the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational Pace (G3).

With Yannick Gingras at the controls, the five-year-old son of Stay Hungry out of the Art Major mare Blind Ambition was powered to the front at the outset, followed by mutuel choice Nijinsky (Louis-Philippe Roy), Abuckabett Hanover (Dexter Dunn) and Ervin Hanover (Doug McNair) into the first turn.

Pacing comfortably on top through an opening panel in :26 and a half in :54.4, Brue Hanover then braced for the challenge of Ervin Hanover, who ratcheted up the outside pressure through three quarters in 1:21.4.

Straightening for the drive to the wire, Gingras called upon Brue Hanover for his best and the Dave Menary trainee responded, as a locked-in Nijinsky looked for a seam to take aim at the leader.

At the wire, Brue Hanover was a half-length winner in a career-best 1:47.4. Nijinsky, last year’s Pepsi North America Cup winner, settled for second. Abuckabett Hanover was third and Ervin Hanover fourth.

“He feels great,” said Gingras, of the pacer who is now 11-0-1 from 14 engagements in 2025. “He's definitely in career form, that's for sure. He drove great, but he was always a willing horse.

“Top of the stretch, I knew Nijinsky had pace behind me. So, I was hugging the rail pretty good, you know, [to] make sure that he wasn't going to get through.”

Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Brue Hanover is now 29-9-12 from 79 starts, accompanied by over $590,000 in career purse earnings.

“He's handled everything we've thrown at him,” praised Menary. “I'm proud of the horse and he's a special animal. He's just so brave. We made a few equipment changes along the way. He's just a class act to be driven this hard this many weeks in a row.”

He paid $6.80 for tonight’s win.

For full results from Saturday's stakes-packed card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk park, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Woodbine)