Ervin Hanover didn't have to break the 1:48 barrier in his second November appearance, but the speedster showed that mile from seven days ago was no fluke with a convincing victory in the $36,000 Preferred Pace on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy settled the 2-5 choice away in fifth early as Saulsbrook Victor (Brett MacDonald) and Fortify (Tyler Borth) took turns on the lead through a :27 opener and :55.2 half. Taurasi (Doug McNair) started a first-over attack from fourth just prior to the midway mark, towing Ervin Hanover into a second-over perch around the far turn as Fortify continued to set the tempo with a 1:23.1 third panel.
Down the stretch, Roy fanned Ervin Hanover off McNair's helmet and the public choice knew what to do from there. Pacing home through a :25.3 final quarter, Ervin Hanover edged away from his six rivals and tripped the timer in 1:49.3. Taurasi stayed for second, some 2-3/4 lengths in arrears, with Powertrain (James MacDonald) showing good late speed to nab show dough.
Now a six-time winner this year and 14-time victor in his career, Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace) sports $478,428 in earnings for owner Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa. David Menary handles the training duties on Ervin Hanover, who returned $2.80 to win.
Saturday's card of harness racing at Mohawk also featured the first leg of the Ontario Sired Harvest Series for three-year-old male pacers and trotters. Devils Kiss provided early fireworks in the single $17,000 Harvest Series division for trotters, crossing over from post nine for driver Louis-Philippe Roy and then setting all the fractions en route to a confident career best 1:56.2 victory at odds of 25-1. Market Banker (Chris Christoforou) was nearly four lengths back in second with Stormont Cheerio (Brett MacDonald) next across the wire.
Kyle Fellows trains Devils Kiss for Ontarians Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood and Arpad Szabo of Bradford, and Albertans Blair Corbeil of Leduc and Mike McAllister of Beaumont. That's career win number three for the son of Archangel-Adreamcomestrue As, lifting his earnings over the $61,000 mark in the process. He returned $52.50 on a $2 win wager.
Two $17,000 Harvest divisions were carded for sophomore pacing colts and geldings, with Brudon connecting in the faster of those splits. After sitting the pocket behind favoured Like A Glove (Tyler Jones) through fractions of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.3, Travis Cullen angled Brudon out from the pylons to power past and score in a lifetime best 1:52.4. Like A Glove stayed for second, 1-1/2 lengths back of the leader, with Smokin Hot Dude (Bert Renaud) closing stoutly for show.
The win for Brudon (McWicked-Summer Thriller) was his first in 17 seasonal starts and just his second in 28 outings. Despite the one-for-27 summary heading into Saturday's contest, Brudon was sent postward as the 6-1 third choice. The Carmen Auciello trainee, owned by Frank Lamacchi of St. George, Ont., Tony Miceli and Deanmar Sons Stable of Mississauga, Ont., returned $15.10 to win. His earnings topped $31,000 with the victory.
Brightside Maseo prevailed in a three-across sprint to the wire in the second Harvest division. Favoured Mcwicked Time (Cullen) fronted the field into the stretch, then attempted to repel pocket-sitting Zebs Krafty (Tyler Jones) and Brightside Maseo (James MacDonald) in the stretch. Zebs Krafty muscled past Mcwicked Time first but then couldn't hold off Brightside Maseo by the time they reached the wire, with Brightside Maseo a head the best in 1:53.4. Mcwicked Time stayed for show.
Also taking a new lifetime mark, Brightside Maseo (Panther Hanover-Brightside Maude) is trained by Julie Walker for Darlene Carr of Dundas, Ont. The bay gelding picked up his fifth career win, third this year, while bumping his bankroll to $29,087. As the 9-2 third choice, Brightside Maseo returned $11 to win.
The Harvest Series is for Ontario-sired colts and geldings, non-winners of $30,000 in 2024 as of midnight, Sept. 30, 2024. The second leg is slated for Nov. 16 with the $30,000 (added) finals on Nov. 23.
For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)