Star Power Hanover showed that last week's 5-1/4-length victory was no fluke as he stepped up in class and took the featured $15,972 conditioned optional claiming trot at Buffalo Raceway on Friday afternoon, April 17. 

Starting from the inside post, Star Power Hanover and driver Drew Monti watched as Mr Cool Seaeyre N (David McNeight III) took the early edge but nixed the pocket trip and quickly zoomed back to the lead. After leading through fractions of :29.1, :59.1 and 1:29, Star Power Hanover had company on the outside with a quarter-mile to go. Trump The Warrior (Kevin Cummings) was in serious contention on the outside at the top of the stretch but broke stride, giving Star Power Hanover more breathing room to the wire as he won by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:58.3 over the fast track. Mr Cool Seaeyre N managed to hold on to the non-threatening place position with Captain Chesley (James McNeight Jr.) getting third.

The win was the third in seven starts on the season for Star Power Hanover, a seven-year-old Wheeling N Dealin-Star Hanover gelding trained by Rachelle Mungillo and owned by Michael Flanagan of Hamburg, New York. He now has 15 career wins and earnings totalling $266,469.

Sent postward as the bettors' choice, Star Power Hanover paid $3.52 to win.

There was plenty of action in the second leg of the April Reins Claiming Series. With the purses at $17,361 and the claiming prices sitting at $11,806, 11 horses changed barns on the card.

Governor JK ($3.40) was extremely popular as he won for the second straight time in the April Reins Series, clocking a 1:57.1 mile with Kevin Cummings driving for trainer Chris Petrelli. He had 13 claims placed on him with Super Mile LLC winning the shake as Angelo Nappo will handle the training duties.

Other winners who were claimed and victorious were Caviart Val ($8.44) in 1:57.1 and Alexas Sunshine ($16.12) in 1:56.2.

The fastest of the six April Reins Series races went to Target Aquired ($8.60), who covered the mile in 1:55.4. Others collecting wins but were not claimed either were Sportsmanship ($20.52) in 1:56 and Dogfight ($7.48) in 1:57.

Trainer Chris Petrelli had three wins on the 12-race program, including two in the April Reins Claiming Series (Caviart Val and Governor JK). Drew Monti finished the program with three driving scores while Kyle Cummings notched a pair. 

Racing will resume on Saturday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m. with a 13-race card. Next Friday's card (April 24) will have the third leg of the April Reins Series with claiming prices increasing again.

(With files from Buffalo Raceway)