The evergreen pacer Ruthless Hanover was used hard to make the lead in the $41,549 Winners Over Pace on Saturday, July 25 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, yet still dug in gamely to prevail in 1:48 and cap a great day for and Team Cancelliere —trainer Tom and owner John.

Leaving from post five in the six-horse feature field, Ruthless Hanover remained out as Congressional (Kevin Wallis) and then Captinhammerhead A (Matt Kakaley), both drawing inside him, made the lead. Driver George Napolitano Jr. bypassed a three-hole tuck with the nine-year-old Somebeachsomewhere-Rockaroundthetrack gelding despite the :25.3 early speed and forged onwards, not clearing to the top until past three-eighths. It was at that point that Oakwood Ardan Ir (Jordan Stratton) pulled out from last, with favoured Ken Hanover (Brett Beckwith) stuck to the pylons as the field passed the half in :53.2 and the three quarters in 1:20.2.

The outer tier stalled late on the backstretch and the inner line was all-out to stay with the leader, so Ken Hanover couldn’t angle out until mid-turn, and despite charging home in :26.4 he could only get to within a neck of the winner at the wire. Congressional was third.

Ruthless Hanover, still a world champion on the basis of his 1:46.3f mile just over three years ago now, has 32 career wins and a bankroll of $1,224,837 from 90 starts. Trained by Tom Cancelliere for his brother, John, the gelding is four-for-eight this season. The win price was $6.60. 

A race earlier, George Napolitano Jr. and the Cancellieres clicked in the $26,056 sub-featured conditioned pace, as the seven-year-old Always B Miki-Beach Gal gelding Maximus Miki ($2.40) enjoyed a drop in company to post a 1:49.3 triumph. Maximus Miki, like his stablemate a member of  the millionaires club (he now has earned $1,487,856 with 29 victories in 69 starts) made every pole a winning one as the timer showed splits of :26.3, :55.4, and 1:22.2 before Maximus Miki passed under the wire with a 2-1/2-length advantage over Soho Santorini A (Kakaley). Wedlock Blue Chip (Brett Beckwith) finished third.

Tom Cancelliere finished the day with three wins, having won the seventh race with Sonofanutcracker ($4) before the aforementioned scores. He is now 15-for-139 on the season.

George Napolitano Jr. in all had four winners on the 11-race card, three of them for Team Cancelliere. Two races were won by George’s brother Anthony and also by each of the last two winners of the Dan Patch Rising Star Award, Brett Beckwith and Braxten Boyd.

Sunday’s 5 p.m. card at Pocono will be the last Sunday program at the track for 2026. The feature will be the inaugural edition of the $75,000 USD Mohegan Cup for free-for-all pacing mares. Likely to be vying for favouritism are Unreasonable, starting from post five with Todd McCarthy up, and Louies Girl A, whom Jason Bartlett will handle from post three.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono)