Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson was known during his career as Mr. October for his late-season and playoff heroics. Mr. November is a moniker that could very easily be attributed right now to Standardbred speedster Ervin Hanover.
After kicking off November 2024 with a scintillating 1:47.4 mile at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Nov. 2, the four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous - Eloquent Grace followed up that mile with a dominant 1:49.3 top class score one week ago.
His effort on Nov. 16 at Mohawk in the $36,000 Preferred Pace might be his most impressive to date.
With Taurasi (Doug McNair) on top and setting early fractions of :26.3 and and :54.3, Louis-Philippe Roy gave 1-5 shot Ervin Hanover his cue from third and started to advance on the leader. He cleared Taurasi before 1:21.3 third panel and then turned on the afterburners once in the stretch. Sprinting home in :26 on a decent November evening temperature-wise, Ervin Hanover tripped the timer in a lifetime best 1:47.3. Fortify (Tyler Borth) closed to finish second, back some six lengths, with Jabberwocky (Trevor Henry) completing the triactor ticket.
Ervin Hanover paid $2.50 to win, notching his third straight tally for driver Roy, trainer David Menary and owner Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa. The 15th career win for Ervin Hanover lifted his earnings to $496,428.
Pacing mares shared the spotlight with the boys on Saturday night, as a number of distaffers were dropped in the box for the $36,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace in advance of the upcoming FanDuel Championships at The Meadowlands.
In a campaign where she's won nearly a half million dollars, it's hard to believe that 2023 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Sylvia Hanover didn't have a win on Canadian soil this year until the middle of November. With two wins and 11 top-three finishes coming into Saturday's test, Sylvia Hanover used front-end tactics to hold off her rivals by a short length in 1:52.4. Huntress (Jonathan Drury) and Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) were next across the wire.
Four-year-old Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki - Shyaway) picked up her 21st win in 39 starts on Saturday night. Bob McClure engineered the winning effort behind the double millionaire for trainer Shawn Steacy and owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que. Expect to see Sylvia Hanover in the Nov. 30 FanDuel Open Mare Pace at The Big M.
Saturday's card also featured the second leg of the Ontario Sired Harvest Series for three-year-old male pacers and trotters, with a single $17,000 division for each gait.
Trotting gelding Market Banker ($12.90) went the mile of his life in the Saturday opener, with driver Chris Christoforou fanning the sophomore off third over cover at the head of the stretch to power past his nine rivals en route to an impressive lifetime best 1:55.4 score. Stony Burke (James MacDonald) was next best, back 1-1/4 lengths, with Major Bank nabbing the show spot.
Camilla Christoforou trains and co-owns Market Banker — now a two-time winner in his career with $44.890 in earnings — along with Dan Fisher of Cambridge, Ont., Marco Arbour of Ajax and Dr. Paul Fisher of Freelton, Ont.
The Harvest winner on the pace also established a new speed badge. Pacing gelding Brudon ($3.20) almost took a seat midpack for driver James MacDonald, but when Lotto Max (Roy) was unable to clear Like A Glove (Tyler Jones) early, MacDonald angled his charge to the outer flow with a three-wide brush to the top down the backside. After a :55.4 half and 1:23.4 third station, Brudon had plenty left in the tank to repel a late challenge from Like A Glove and win by nearly two lengths in 1:52. Lotto Max stayed for the show spot.
A son of McWicked - Summer Thriller, Brudon is trained by Carmen Auciello for Frank Lamacchia of St. George, Tony Miceli and Deanmar Sons Stable of Mississauga, Ont. Now a three-time winner, Brudon sports $39,537 in purses.
The $30,000 finals for Harvest Series will go postward next Saturday, Nov. 23.
A name familiar to fans of harness racing in western Canada, veteran pacer Armycaptin Hanover recently made his way to the Mohawk circuit. Making his second start for the Meg Crone stable on Saturday night, eight-year-old Armycaptin Hanover was resolute in a front-end mission orchestrated by driver Louis-Philippe Roy, who guided the tough campaigner to his 50th career victory.
Owned by Laverne Turnbull of Kitchener, Ont., eight-year-old Armycaptin Hanover (Captaintreacherous - Allamerican Coed) sports a 50-36-42 summary from his 164 starts with $358,598 in earnings. He returned $5.50 to win.
For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)