Brue Hanover prevailed in a four-across finish to win his second $40,000 Open Pace in a row at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Jan. 24.
James MacDonald put the gelding on the point, and Brue Hanover reigned in a mundane opening half with fractions in :27.1 and :58. Things heated up from there though when Its Saturday Night (Louis-Philippe Roy) came off the cones on the final turn with Pacino Hanover (Travis Cullen) and Blue Hunt (Billy Davis Jr.) in his wake, making it three in, three out to three-quarters in 1:26.2.
Brue Hanover straightened for home first, beset by Its Saturday Night to his outside and Taurasi (Doug McNair) looking to make a dash at the pylons. Pacino Hanover drew closer to the leaders coming into the last eighth of a mile, and Blue Hunt revved up widest of all. With four horses in contention in the final strides, Brue Hanover hung on by a head over Blue Hunt and Pacino Hanover, who were second and third, respectively.
Brue Hanover is three-for-four in Open company to start the season for trainer Dave Menary. The six-year-old son of Stay Hungry-Blind Ambition is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pa. He is 34-for-90 lifetime with earnings of $718,465. The gelding returned $3.30 to win.
In Snowshoe Pacing Series second-leg action, Rbstenacious T ($3.50) led a training triple for Jodie Cullen, her second three-bagger in a row at Mohawk, with a win in the second split. After showing little speed off the car, the four-year-old stallion surged forward on the first turn for Travis Cullen to take the lead past the quarter in :27.4. He was alone in front through middle splits of :57.2 and 1:26, and he neutralized pocket-sitter Calypso Creek (J.R. Plante) down the lane to win by two lengths in 1:55. Cold Creek Pantera (Jody Jamieson) closed for show. The victory was the third straight for the son of Freaky Feet Pete-Aunt Marlene, who is owned by Ron and Travis Cullen of Dundas, Ont. and Deborah McLeod of Edmonton, Alta. He is now eight-for-23 lifetime with $71,522 in the bank.
Jodie Cullen, the top dash-winning conditioner of 2025, also scored with Glenboro ($4.90) and Dublin Dasher ($33), bringing her seasonal total to 29 wins from 122 starts. She leads the national standings by 15 wins over second-placed Gerard Demers. Travis Cullen, Jodie’s son, drove all three winners to maintain his own lead atop the national driving standings. He is ahead of Austin Sorrie, last year’s leader, by five wins.
After missing by a head in the first leg, Booker Seelster ($2.20) scooped the opening division of round two with a 1:56.3 victory over two opponents, scratched down from a field of six. He accepted a pocket spot behind Nova Blu (Davis) only as far as the quarter in :30.1 before moving to the lead. The four-year-old son of Sunshine Beach-Better Than Happy gave McNair easy work from there as he cruised through the half in 1:00 and three-quarters in 1:28.2, then held off Nova Blu by a measured length in the stretch. Mandestiny (Travis Cullen) rounded out the field. Terry Fritz of Walkerton, Ont. trains and co-owns Booker Seelster with David Wilson of Mildmay, Ont. The winning gelding tallied his third lifetime victory and boosted his earnings to $37,659.
The Snowshoe Pacing Series is for three- and four-year-old male pacers that are non-winners of two races or $30,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31, 2025. The series final is set for Jan. 31 at Mohawk.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)