Squee Hanover finished as the runner-up for Trotter of the Year honours at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2021 and the Andy Gardner trainee continued his breakout campaign on Monday afternoon.
Finishing second in the voting to Cash Me Out, Squee Hanover is enjoying his career year and won the Open Trot for the seventh time of the season on Monday. Billy Dobson has been piloting the five-year-old for the last few months and finished first or second with him in every start but one dating back to the summertime.
Drawing the outside post on Monday, Squee Hanover wound up starting from post five after a scratch and got away last of them all. The race’s favourite Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) worked hard in the early stages and though he got the lead he wanted, it took fractions of :27.1 and :56.4 in lap one for him.
Squee Hanover revved up the engine and took his shot at the leader heading to three quarters. Those two squared off in a heavy duty duel before Squee got the best of Big Box in the battle of the Hanovers. Squee Hanover stopped the timer in 1:55.3 to register his seventh Open victory and thirteenth win for the season overall. Big Box Hanover had to settle for second while Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) earned the show spot.
Squee Hanover, who is owned by Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA, paid $4.40 to win.
Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a first post time set for 12 p.m. There is a Pick Five carryover of $3,680. The Pick Five begins in the first race on the matinee card.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)