Trainer Marcus Melander swept the Empire Breeders Classics for three-year-old trotters at Vernon Downs on Friday, June 12 with the seasonally perfect Spencer Hanover and Nezuko Kamado S winning their respective divisions. 

Spencer Hanover ($2.10) continued his undefeated sophomore season, adding the $245,181 Empire Breeders Classic for colts and geldings to his resume.

After taking a three-hole tuck when leaving from the outside post six through a :29 opening quarter, driver Jason Bartlett made his move with Spencer Hanover as they headed down the backstretch and took command from early leader Read The Room (Sarah Svanstedt) at the half in :58.1. He then cruised to three-quarters in 1:26.1. As they reached the stretch, Read The Room popped out of the pocket and went after the leader but could not get to Spencer Hanover. Twin B Seven Sins (Niko Karna) made a strong late bid from the backfield, but Spencer Hanover had the jump on him and prevailed by a quarter of a length in 1:54.3. Seven Grand (Ake Svanstedt) shot through inside to finish third over stablemate Read The Room.

Spencer Hanover, last year's Breeders Crown champion whose sophomore wins include the Oak Grove Trotting Derby and a leg of the New York Sire Stakes, has amassed a seasonal bankroll of $539,882 in just four starts owners Jeffrey Snyder of New York City, New York and Arthur Pronti of Jersey City, New Jersey. The millionaire colt by Chapter Seven out of Secret Passion has now won seven times in 17 career starts.

Nezuko Kamado S ($3.24) is also off to a successful start to her sophomore season and landed bank in the winner's circle following a career-best equalling effort in the $270,861 Empire Breeders Classic for fillies.

Sharp Seven (Jeff Gregory) laid down all the early fractions: first to the quarter in :28, first to the half in :56.2 and first to three-quarters in 1:24.3. The first to make a move from the stretched out single-file field of nine fillies heading to the third quarter mark was R Ro (Tyler Buter) from fifth with Nezuko Kamado S and Scott Zeron following her cover before flying by on far outside in the stretch to win in 1:52.4. She prevailed by three-quarters of a length over the game R Rom with Laurens Chapter (Niko Karma) closing from behind to take third over Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford).

A New York Sire Stakes winner in her May 25 season's debut at Vernon, Nezuko Kamado S is now two-for-two this year and has eight wins in her career from 13 starts. The homebred Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT filly boosted her lifetime bankroll to nearly $985,000 for owner Courant Inc. Delray Beach, Florida.

Knoxville ($3.62) and driver Tyler Buter dominated the $169,167 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for pacing sophomore colts and geldings, winning in a seven-length romp in a new lifetime mark of 1:50.3. Mighty Matt (Braxten Boyd) and Hunt Off The Press (Jason Bartlett) rounded out the top three. Ray Schnittker trains and co-owns the Huntsville-Lets Fall In Love colt, who has won back-to-back NYSS events, with Milton Leeman of Columbus, Ohio, Louis Palumbo of Eastchester, New York and Theodore Gewertz, New York City, New York.

Three $27,777 Excelsior Series divisions were won by: Cooperstown Boy (Colin Kelly) in 1:53 for trainer Jared Bako; Jericho Johnny (Jason Bartlett) in 1:51 for the Larry Stalbaum stable; and Killing Joke (Leon Bailey) in 1:51.3 for conditioner Chuck Connor Jr. All three winners took new lifetime marks.

Live harness racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday, June 13 with a post time of 5:05 p.m.

(Standardbred Canada with files from Vernon Downs; photo of Spencer Hanover winning on June 12)