Dandy Ideal finished with an explosive late kick to down fellow millionaires Ken Hanover and Ruthless Hanover in 1:48.3 over a surface rated good while taking the $39,286 Winners Over Handicap Pace on Saturday, June 27 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Dandy Ideal, Ruthless Hanover (George Napolitano Jr.) and Ken Hanover (Tim Tetrick) lined up behind the gate in that order on the right-hand side of the field of six. Dandy Ideal, driven by Braxten Boyd, outleft everybody for early command, with the noted frontrunner Ruthless Hanover continuing up to make the lead and Ken Hanover forced to drop in third before the :26 quarter. “Ruthless,” a front-end winner in his last two starts at Pocono, continued on to middle splits of :54.1 and 1:21.3, with favoured Ken Hanover getting into the major action uncovered before the latter station.

“Ken” gained on “Ruthless” on the far turn, and the millionaires’ three opponents were not able to stay close, so Boyd had a choice of the inner or outer route with his horse, and he chose to back him out and then swing wide early in the stretch. A big last 1/16th of a mile enabled Dandy Ideal to gobble up the embattled front two to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Ken Hanover, with Ruthless Hanover another three-quarters of a length behind the winner. 

Dandy Ideal, a four-year-old son of American Ideal-Ok Heavenly, was a top Grand Circuit sophomore last year with victories in the Hempt Memorial and Matron and a second in the Breeders Crown. He is now two-for-three this year and 18-for-32 lifetime. Hunter Oakes trains the winner of $1,542,348 for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston. The longest shot of the three millionaires at 9-2, he returned $11.40 to win.

The $28,571 sub-featured conditioned fast-class pace went to the game Always B Miki-Betterluck Hanover gelding Congressional ($4.60). The six-year-old moved to command in front of the stands and held on to the wire in 1:50.1, with potential pocket rocket American Fling (Anthony Napolitano) just a half-length behind at the finish. Wedlock Blue Chip (Brett Beckwith) was third. Congressional was driven and is trained and owned by Kevin Wallis.

Honolulu Hanover ($10.80), seventh at the half, moved three-wide late in the backstretch and circled his opposition to win the top conditioned trot of the day, worth $25,000. The four-year-old Bar Hopping-Holtby Hanover gelding came from a very tough spot in the 1:56 victory for Pocono’s top driver and trainer, Tyler Buter and Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Switala, and James Martin. Heytherbartender (Braxten Boyd) closed to be second, 1-1/4 lengths adrift, followed by Non Disclosure (Colin Kelly).

The spoils were well-divided on the 11-race Saturday card — driver Braxten Boyd and trainer Chelsey Faurot were the only doublers.

Three $16,000 USD contests for two-year-olds will be in the spotlight on the Pocono Sunday twilight card starting at 5 p.m. The stakes season for two-year-olds starts this coming Saturday, July 4 with a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest for trotting males kicking off the state-sired action.

(PHHA/Pocono)