John Cancelliere’s Ruthless Hanover will take on seven of harness racing’s fastest pacers in Sunday’s $125,000 USD Potomac Pace Invitational at Rosecroft Raceway with the distinction of being the fastest pacer in history over a five-eighths of a mile racetrack.
The seven-year-old gelding, who set the world record at Harrah’s Philadelphia last year, will obviously be ideally suited to the five-eighths of a mile configuration of the Rosecroft track.
“The thing about him is he doesn’t slow down. He goes one speed. Some horses come back to you a little on the turns. He makes up ground on the turns,” said trainer Thomas Cancelliere, the owner’s brother. “It seems like he does his best work on the five-eighths.”
Ruthless Hanover was clocked in 1:46.3 while winning the Joseph Auger Memorial on May 28, 2023, surpassing Allywag Hanover’s 1:46.4 record set while winning the 2022 Potomac Pace.
“It was a shocker to me, I’ll tell you that, “Cancelliere said. “It’s because I don’t look for records with geldings. I want the win, not a record. He’s a fast little guy.”
Ruthless Hanover drew the far-outside Post 8 for the Potomac Pace, for which defending champion Bythemissal drew Post 6.
“He’s a bad-drawing horse, and I mean bad,” Cancelliere said. “It’s not a great draw but I think I’d like it better than the 1 or 2 hole.”
Ruthless Hanover drew the rail post position for the Oct. 26 Breeders’ Crown Open Pace on the one-mile track at The Meadowlands, where he finished fourth after winning his Breeders Crown elimination race there a week prior.
“It just didn’t go his way. He got locked in on the rail. He never got the chance to get out and get momentum,” Cancelliere said.
George Napolitano Jr., who was in the bike for Ruthless Hanover’s world record, has the drive Sunday.
“George is the perfect combination for him. George can fire him up and keep him rolling,” Cancelliere said.
Although he’s seven, Ruthless Hanover has remained at the top of his game this season.
“He didn’t race at two. He only had a handful of races at three. He never really started racing until he was four. He doesn’t have a lot of races lifetime,” Cancelliere said. “This year, I decided just to race him in the bigger races, keep him fresh, keep him happy. It seemed to work out for him. He’s sound and happy.”
Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman’s Little Rocket Man will also bring a record of longevity and excellence into the Potomac Pace.
The eight-year-old gelding is scheduled to make a bid for his 68th victory in Rosecroft’s marquee pacing event while making his 117 career start.
Little Rocket Man also is well-suited to Rosecroft’s five-eighths of a mile track.
“It really doesn’t matter, but if I had a preference, the five-eighths is kind of perfect for him,” trainer Ken Rucker said. “He doesn’t have a bad track, but I’d say five-eighths is his best.”
Little Rocket Man is versatile, as well as durable.
“He’s probably done his best miles off the lead, but whatever the race calls for, he’s willing to do it,” Rucker said. “He just does whatever it takes. Anyone who has ever drove him says, ‘Man, is he ever a smart horse.’”
Regular driver David Miller is back in the bike for the Potomac Pace.
First-race post for Sunday’s 14-race program is set at 3 p.m. The Potomac Pace is carded as Race 11. Here's the complete field:
2024 POTOMAC PACE
1. Charlie May - Dan Noble - Tim Twaddle - 6-1
2. Its My Show - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano- 15-1
3. Abuckabett Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris - 3-1
4. Voukefalas - Jordan Stratton - Michael Russo - 20-1
5. El Rey - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris - 25-1
6. Bythemissal - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 8-5
7. Little Rocket Man - David Miller - Ken Rucker - 4-1
8. Ruthless Hanover - Geo. Napolitano Jr. - Thomas Cancelliere - 5-1
AE1. South Beach Star - Braxten Boyd - Mark Silva
(Rosecroft; photo of Ruthless Hanover)