Breeders Crown champion Spencer Hanover headlined a trio of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) first-leg divisions on Monday, May 25 at Vernon Downs as the colt remained perfect at three with a dominant outing in the $82,083 second split for three-year-old trotting males.

Jason Bartlett slotted him in third early while Seven Grand (Ake Svanstedt) went to the quarter first in :29.1. Spencer Hanover made his move first-over heading down the backstretch and brushed to the top at the half in :58, then motored to three-quarters in 1:25.3. He strode away from his opponents in the final quarter, building his margin to 8-1/4 lengths in the 1:53.4 score. Titans Mischief (Matt Kakaley) took home second money, followed by Secured (Dylan Huckabone-Miller) in third.

Spencer Hanover is three-for-three as a sophomore and six-for-16 lifetime following his Breeders Crown-winning season at two. He came into his own at the end of that campaign, winning the Big Apple at Vernon in addition to his Breeders Crown final and elimination. The Chapter Seven-Secret Passion colt is trained by Marcus Melander for owners Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. The win price was $2.10.

Nezuko Kamado S, Melander's second NYSS winner of the day, started her three-year-old campaign with a victory over Breeders Crown champion and O'Brien Award winner Storybook Love in the $169,167 division for three-year-old trotting fillies.

B Eyelash (Jason Bartlett) left from post seven and took the lead to the quarter in :28 before Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) swung out of the pocket and assumed command on the way to the half in :57.4. Nezuko Kamado S, driven by Scott Zeron, made her bid out of fourth heading around the final turn and moved alongside Storybook Love at three-quarters in 1:27. Storybook Love and Nezuko Kamado S battled all the way down the stretch, and Nezuko Kamado S overhauled her rival late by a half-length to prevail in 1:54.3. R Ro (Tyler Buter) finished third.

Nezuko Kamado S, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos It, won six of 11 races as a rookie including the Big Apple and Kentuckiana Stallion Management. The Courant Inc. homebred finished third to Storybook Love when favoured in the Breeders Crown final. She paid $3.08 to win on Monday.

Myths And Legends ($7.72), driven by Scott Zeron in a $27,778 Excelsior Series contest for three-year-old trotting fillies, was Melander's other winner on the 10-race card. The trainer has won 17 of 61 starts this year.

Sevenato, trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, charged in the final quarter to upset in the $80,556 first division for three-year-old male trotters.

The favourite, Chapter Geo J (Jason Bartlett), set the early fractions of :27.2 and :56.4 with Sevenato sitting fifth and last. Read The Room (Ake Svanstedt) was first to make a challenge heading around the final turn, pressuring Chapter Geo J to three-quarters in 1:24.4. The field was five wide as the colts and geldings headed down the stretch, and Sevenato was widest and fastest as he sprinted to a 1:54 victory by 2-1/4 lengths. Whos Eyes Blues (Tyler Buter) was second. Highway Six (Jeff Gregory) finished third.

Sevenato broke his maiden in his fourth start in his debut season. The son of Chapter Seven-Tamgo Donato is owned by Purple Haze Stables LLC. He paid $37.52 to win.

Bar Hall Beauty ($6.88), driven by Andy Miller for Nick Devita, won the other Excelsior division for three-year-old trotting distaffs. The sophomore male trot division winners were Dws Cha Ching ($6.48), piloted by Matt Kakaley for Travis Alexander and Flex Up ($5.26), who won for Andy and Julie Miller.

Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday with a post time of 5:05 p.m.

(With files from Vernon Downs)