After winning his season's debut against conditioned company, Send It In Hanover was back on the point at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday, March 2, taking the Open Handicap Trot.
Kyle Swift drove the five-year-old Greenshoe-Southwind Percy gelding for trainer Jaymes McAssey and started from the rail for this try in the $22,603 feature. Swift took no prisoners, cutting the mile with Send It In Hanover, who hit the :27.4 opening quarter and cleared to the top before taking the field to the half in :58. The race’s favourite, Platinum As (Brett Beckwith), took dead aim on the leader through three-quarters in 1:27.2, but the McAssey trainee didn’t want to give an inch and turned back the bid from Platinum As around the final turn before drawing clear to win in 1:57.1 by 1-1/2 lengths. Platinum As came up second-best while Ordained (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. Send It In Hanover, who is now two-for-four this year, paid $7.68 to win.
Swift and McAssey teamed up for a trio of wins on the trotting-heavy Monday card as Secret Or Not rattled off his third consecutive victory while National Love As completed the hat trick for his connections by grinding out a first-over score. Paul O’Neil of Saratoga Springs, New York owns the Open winner in addition to National Love As while Jaypaul Hoover of Ephrata, Pennsylvania owns Secret Or Not.
Live harness racing continues on Tuesday, March 3 at Saratoga with a first post time of 12 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)