Owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. rolled the dice when he supplemented Easy Lover Hanover for $25,000 to this year’s Hap Hansen Progress Pace, and the gamble paid off big time for the streaking son of Somebeachsomewhere.
Purchased for $70,000 from the January Select Mixed Sale, Easy Lover Hanover has done nothing but make money and win races for trainer Ben Wallace. Monday’s score in the $314,600 Hap Hansen Progress Pace at Dover Downs was some serious icing on the cake.
Second in his elimination last week, Easy Lover Hanover was treated to a two-hole trip in Monday’s rich final. Doug McNair stalked Check Six through fractions of :25.4, :54 and 1:20.3 before dropping inside of that foe in the lane. Easy Lover Hanover shot up the pylons and edged past Check Six in the closing strides en route to posting the win in a career-best clocking of 1:49. Check Six held on bravely for second, with third prize going to race favourite Boston Red Rocks.
“He was a great horse to buy,” said trainer Ben Wallace. “He won the first five races we had him. While giving the horse some time off, we gelded him, which we had planned when we got him. After wins at Mohawk and Woodbine we decided to put up $25,000 to supplement him to this race. Doug McNair had driven him all season for us and he did another good job tonight.”
The victory improved Easy Lover Hanover’s 2016 record to 15-4-2 from 31 trips postward, and the lion’s share of the loot lifted his lifetime earnings to $366,022.
(With quotes from Dover Downs)