Townslight Hanover came charging home off cover and got up in the final strides to steal the spotlight in the featured $25,000 Preferred Pace at Pocono Downs on Saturday night.
Driven by Andrew McCarthy, Townslight Hanover followed along in sixth-place for most of the mile before storming home from third over with a :27.1 closing quarter to win in 1:49.3. It was tight finish with first over Safe Harbor (Ron Pierce) and second over Here We Go Again (Eric Ledford) finishing within a neck of the winner.
Townslight Hanover paid $11.60 to win as the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of eight. Favourite Meirs Hanover (Matt Kakaley), who was on top through fractions of :26.2, :54.3 and 1:21.4, finished fifth.
Aaron Lambert trains the five-year-old Bettors Delight gelding for owner Kenneth Tucci of Wood Ridge, New Jersey. Townslight Hanover has earned 15 top three finishes in 23 starts this year and 16 wins lifetime while banking over $630,000 in purses.
Lambert and McCarthy were honoured during the track's year-end awards presentations following the feature race for campaigning Pocono's Pacer of the Year, Dynamic Youth. Richard 'Nifty' Norman trainee Beatgoeson Hanover was named the local Trotter of the Year while Foiled Again, conditioned by four-time Saturday night winner Ron Burke, was voted the Fan Favourite.