Omen Hanover, driven by Yannick Gingras, was both hounded and heroic Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $38,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace
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Starting outside her seven rivals, Omen Hanover swooped 'em all at the start. She made the lead well before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile, getting around pole-sitting Look Siera (Eric Goodell).
Feeling You (Brian Sears), unable to find a set, was stuck outside toward at a soft :57 half. Omen Hanover then kept that pursuer at bay in and out of a 1:25.2 three-quarters, clinging to a short lead into the lane.
However, the fractions were in her favour, and she kept her foes at bay. Omen Hanover found the mile marker in 1:54.2, before getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 2:02.2. Bling (Jim Pantaleano), last early, closed stoutly but missed a neck. Celtic Danser (John Campbell)--also belatedly--Summer Snow (Jordan Stratton) and Feeling You completed the cashers. The five payees were separated by just a length at the line.
For Omen Hanover, a seven-year-old daughter of Western Hanover trained by Nick Surick for owner KDM Stables Corp., she returned $6.80 (second choice) for her eighth win in 38 seasonal starts (40th lifetime victory.) The exacta paid $38.80, with the triple returning $358. With the win, Omen Hanover is edging closer to the million-dollar earnings plateau (career $961,729).
Friday night's co-featured $38,000 Open Trot was bombs away, with 25-1 Sun Of A Victory and driver Jordan Stratton going by first-up, then finding the wire just in time.
Pembroke Heat Wave (Sears) stepped around Neighsay Hanover (Ray Schnittker), putting up intervals of :28.1 and :58.4. Sun Of A Victory, away fourth from post No. 2, came out and disposed of the leader right at a 1:29 three-quarters. The new leader owned a length-and-a-half advantage off the final turn.
Libra Vita (Matt Kakaley), at 22-1, gapped the eventual winner--who found the mile in 1:57.3--while 18-1 KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) simply ran out of raceway. Sun Of A Victory won by a nose in an added-distance 2:05.
Tsmlil Orphan Andy (Brent Holland), the 47-1 rank outsider, and a shuffled Neighsay Hanover grabbed the remainder, while even-money Pilgrims Chuckie (Campbell) was a non-factor sixth.
For Sun Of A Victory, a five-year-old Victory Sam gelding trained by Mark Harder for owner Richard Pollucci, he returned $53.50 (seventh choice) for his eighth win in 33' 11 tries. The exacta paid $573, the triple returned $7,194 and the superfecta paid $21,670 ($2 payoff, 10-cent ticket worth $1,083.50).
(Yonkers Raceway)