Defending O’Brien Award champion Scarlett Hanover is up for national honours again and will be looking to join an elite group of harness racing’s standout pacing fillies to sweep divisional honours at ages two and three.
Campaigned by North American leading trainer Ron Burke and his U.S. partners, Ontario-sired Scarlett Hanover was once again entrusted to the care of the Hensley stable in Dundas, Ont. when racing north of the border, headed by the wife and husband trainer-driver duo of Ashleigh and Ed Hensley.
“Scarlett Hanover was a pleasure to have in our barn,” trainer Ashleigh Hensley said of hosting the talented filly for another successful cross-border campaign that included nine races in Canada during the global pandemic. “It was always so exciting racing her because she always gave it her all.”
Through 16 sophomore starts, the Bettors Delight-Sammys Magic Girl filly earned $586,465 to push her career earnings over the $1 million mark for owners Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Jandt Silva, Purnel And Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi.
Like her first O’Brien Award-winning campaign in 2020, Scarlett Hanover put together a 6-4-1 season that included a victory in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. She topped the division, winning three Gold Series events in rein to Ed Hensley during her OSS tour across Woodbine Mohawk Park, Grand River Raceway and Rideau Carleton Raceway leading up to her title defense – a 1:50.4 career-best effort with Yannick Gingras in the sulky.
“It was pretty straightforward managing her,” said the filly's Canadian conditioner. “She had a few minor things we had to work on, but nothing serious. She made our job pretty easy.”
On the Grand Circuit, Scarlett Hanover swept her elimination heat and the final of the Jugette and was the Breeders Crown runner-up to U.S. divisional champion Test Of Faith in addition to picking up cheques in the Matron, USS Indianapolis and Fan Hanover Stakes.
While Scarlett Hanover’s OSS reign in the Hensleys’ care played a crucial role in her O’Brien nomination, Hensley noted her victory in an historic race stateside was the highlight of the year for the border-hopping filly.
“The moment that stands out the most for me from her 2021 season aside from the Super Final win would have to be watching her win the Jugette – that was pretty special!”
Hensley was filled with pride watching Scarlett Hanover out-finish Test Of Faith in the 51st edition of the Jugette on the rainy Wednesday afternoon in September at Delaware County Fairgrounds with Tim Tetrick catch-driving. That winning performance gave Burke a record fourth Jugette victory.
“I would have to attribute her success to Ron Burke,” noted Hensley. “He sent her to us fit and ready to race both years and we got to enjoy the ride. I would also like to add my husband Ed Hensley, he did a great job teaching her how to race and did all the track work with her and kept her happy and on top of her game.”
Scarlett Hanover is a finalist in Canada’s Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year category with Voelz Delight. All of the 2021 winners will be announced at the 33rd edition of the O’Brien Awards next month.
Eight pacing fillies have won O’Brien Awards in both their two and three-year-old seasons. The last filly to accomplish the feat was L A Delight, also a daughter of Bettors Delight, in 2016. The list also features standouts Town Pro, Hardie Hanover, Elegant Killean, Odies Fame, Precious Delight, American Jewel and I Luv The Nitelife.
“We were excited to hear she was nominated as an O’Brien finalist again this year. It’s been such an awesome experience for us; we are a small stable, so this means a lot to us,” said Hensley, who currently has nine horses in training. “We were hoping it wouldn’t be a virtual evening again, but we will definitely celebrate at home with our family and make the best of it.”
The O’Brien Awards Virtual Gala will be live streamed on Sunday, Feb. 6 on standardbredcanada.ca.