Flexing her considerable back-class muscles, Uptown Hanover moved to the lead down the backstretch on the way to a safe one-length win in the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands, a mid-range conditioned pace for fillies and mares with a purse of $18,056.
The six-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Upside Surprise, trained by Jeff Cullipher, sat off a blistering opening fraction of :26.4 as another Cullipher student, Fade Out, had the top.
The quick action continued as AVF Claire provided a live tow for the eventual winner, as Uptown Hanover took control passing the half in a snappy :54.2. Winning driver Todd McCarthy was able to back down the third fraction to :28.2, reaching three-quarters in 1:22.4.
Despite being pressured around the far turn by a resurgent Fade Out, all Uptown Hanover needed was a final quarter of :28.1 to report home an easy winner in a lifetime-best 1:51.
“I had to do a little bit more than I wanted getting around there, but once we got there, she swelled up nice off the turn and she gave me a pretty good kick there in the straightaway,” said McCarthy. “She was good last week [when third to Grand Circuit regular Canigetalouploup]. Cullipher’s team’s been doing a great job with them, so they’re always racing good.”
JM Betonsix and Dixie Dream rallied well to finish second and third, respectively.
Owned by Pollack Racing, Uptown Hanover recorded her sixth victory of the season from 32 starts and returned $2.60 to win.
The former Western Canada stakes winner now has 29 wins from 126 lifetime outings and earnings just shy of $640,000.
Oakwood Heymiki IR sparkled in his North American debut, winning a high-end conditioned pace in 1:49.2. The invader from Great Britain, driven by Tyler Buter and trained by Robert Cleary, sat off remarkably fast early fractions to come and get the victory from well off the pace. The four-year-old gelded son of Always B Miki-I Got Rhythm returned $2.40 to win.
Braxten Boyd led the driver colony with three winners on the night.
All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $2,756,928 USD.
Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m., with seven divisions of the fifth leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)