Spender Hanover and driver Jim McNeight used the passing lane to their advantage to win the $11,000 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night (March 16).
The win was the second this year for the seven-year-old Cams Card Shark gelding, who is trained by Don Rothfuss and owned by Michael Ouriel of Rochester, New York.
Spender Hanover ($22.40), dismissed by the bettors at 10-1, settled in second from post two as Every Girls Desire (Jack Flanigen) set all the fractions in the race (:29.2, :58.1, and 1:27.3). As the field hit the top of the stretch, Spender Hanover swung inside to the passing lane, and with a :28.3 last quarter-mile, edged second-place finisher Dontgetinskyway (Dave McNeight III) by half a length at the finish line. The winning time was 1:56.2. Cole Hard Cash (Dan Noble) came in third.
The $5,500 share of the winning purse put Spender Hanover’s seasonal earnings at $18,800 and lifetime bankroll at $252,758.
Brothers John Cummings Jr. and Kevin Cummings led all drivers with three wins apiece on the card.
Racing will resume on Wednesday, March 20 with first post scheduled for 5 p.m. eastern time. The Pick 7 will have $7,260 carryover for Wednesday as no one has hit the wager since the beginning of the meet. It starts in race six.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)