Less than a full day after Virgil established a new track record for older male pacers, Ontario-sired Rehab Mountain lowered the standard for older trotters at Miami Valley.
A model of consistency this season, Rehab Mountain employed his customary front-stepping style to win for the sixth time in nine 2015 starts. Brad Hanners trains and drives the eight-year-old Duke Of York gelding, who beat Cantcutthatchip (Jack Dailey) and Cantab Lindy (Shawn Barker II) in 1:54.3. The B6 Racing Stable owns the winner, who increased his seasonal earnings to over $50,000.
The only trotter to ever go a faster trotting mile than Rehab Mountain at Miami Valley was millionairess Maven, who won a Grand Circuit Stake on closing night of the inaugural meet last May.
Finalists for the Herb Coven Jr. Memorial Series championship were also determined on the Sunday matinee program following a pair of final preliminary round divisions. Princess Of Rock (Jason Brewer) stamped her ticket into the final with a convincing win over Jetting Around (Dan Noble) and My Beach Baby (Kayne Kauffman) in the first split. The winning four-year-old Rocknroll Hanover mare is trained by Jeff Brewer and owned by William Eltzroth and Charles Blackwell.
The other division was captured by Seconds Later (Josh Sutton), who topped Angel Face (Kayne Kauffman) and Lady Julie (Jack Dailey). Brandon Piquet conditions the daughter of Quik Pulse Mindale for Adam Friedland.
The Coven Memorial Series features fillies and mares who haven’t won four pari-mutuel races or $30,000 prior to the nomination date. The final should be highly competitive as four different mares won each of the four preliminary heats. The top three finishers from each division on Sunday will be joined by Go For Sand, Paige Moon Dancer and Pepstepn Penelope in the $15,000 championship.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)