Prince Hal Hanover pressed to the lead after first-turn traffic trouble and resisted newly minted Canadian record-holder Bruno No No No to win the $259,500 Grade 2 Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup for four-year-olds on Sunday, May 17 at Flamboro Downs.

Starting from post three, Prince Hal Hanover raced third into the opening turn behind Fifth And Five (James MacDonald), who fired out and looked to clear inside starter Sugar Man (Louis-Philippe Roy) but dropped back as Sugar Man hit the gas to hang him out. Prince Hal Hanover was jammed up behind Fifth And Five’s retreat into the pocket, but Todd McCarthy kept his charge out and scrambled him to the lead past the quarter in :27.1. Bruno No No No, who set a track and Canadian record in his elimination, was already on the move and arrived outside of the new leader just past the half in :55.1.

Prince Hal Hanover motored onto the backstretch and briefly created a gap to Bruno No No No, but that rival battled back and maintained the pressure past three-quarters in 1:22.4. Rounding the last turn, Prince Hal Hanover again brushed off Bruno No No No, and he neutralized that foe and pocket-sitter Sugar Man down the stretch to win by a length in 1:50. Sugar Man lifted for second over Bruno No No No and retained his position after an inquiry.

Prince Hal Hanover is perfect in three starts at four after winning the Pacey Mindlin Memorial at Miami Valley Raceway on May 2 and his Juravinski elimination a week ago. Dr. Ian Moore trains the son of Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip, who won the Adios Pace and Milstein Memorial last year, for Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont. The stallion won for the 13th time in 34 career starts and bolstered his bankroll to $1,743,633. He paid $5.10 to win.

The Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup, originally the Confederation Cup, was renamed in 2022 after the late co-founder of Flamboro Downs, Charles Juravinski, who passed away that year.

The 11-race card also featured the first Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) action of the season with three $25,000 Grassroots divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies. Driver Todd Ratchford and trainer Matt Bax produced two 10-1 upsets with daughters of Green Manalishi S, winning the first two splits with Upgrade and Acrobatic.

Upgrade was away fourth from the rail in the first group but inherited third before the quarter in :27.2 with the break of favourite Kenogami Fancy (James MacDonald), then became the pocket-sitter as Press On Ballykeel (Louis-Philippe Roy) also jumped it off. Upgrade went to work closing the gap through the half in :56.3 and reached the helmet of leader Miss Mass Appeal (Doug McNair) down the backstretch, pulling first-up approaching three-quarters in 1:26.1. She vaulted past the pacesetter coming off the last turn and trotted clear to a 2-1/4-length victory in 1:56.3. Bella Chica (Bob McClure), a Prospect Series champion last year, finished second over Miss Mass Appeal.

Upgrade broke her maiden in her 15th lifetime start and seventh of the season for trainer Bax and owners Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. and Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. A filly out of Uptown Classic, the $416,667 Harrisburg purchase has now earned $43,644. She paid $23.80 to win.

Acrobatic took flight for the front end early and stuck the landing in the second division. She marched out of post five for Ratchford and reached the quarter in :28.3 with a 3-1/2-length edge as early leaver Kountry Clover (Louis-Philippe Roy) went off-stride on the opening turn. She was in control past the half in :58.2, went to three-quarters in 1:27.3 as Love Wins (Mark MacDonald) brought first-over pressure, then cruised home to a three-quarter-length victory over Rare Legacy (James MacDonald) in 1:57. Love Wins was third.

Acrobatic took her second career win in 15 outings, moving to two-for-12 on the year, and raised her earnings to $41,550. Bax Stable of Campbellville, Ont. co-owns its homebred out of Circus Girl with Don Allensen of Wyoming, Ont. and Goin To The Show Stable of Sharon, Ont. Her backers received $22.90.

Elbows Up ($2.40) completed the first leg of Grassroots action with a 1:58.1 score, improving to three-for-five on the season. Billy Davis Jr. piloted the daughter of Muscle Mass-Vegas Virgin to victory for trainer Shawn Steacy and owners Doug Clark of Mississauga, Ont., Mark and Cara Steacy of Lansdowne, Ont. and Guy Haskell of Guelph, Ont.

The Grassroots series will run from May to October with the finals set for Oct. 3. The first leg for sophomore male pacers is up next on May 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A replay of the Sunday card from Flamboro Downs follows, with the Juravinski Cup as race 10

To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.

(Standardbred Canada)