Coming off the most lucrative season of his career, Ken Hanover will look to follow a similar path to success again in 2026.
A six-year-old pacing stallion, Ken Hanover hit the board in 12 of 15 races last season, winning eight and earning $699,491 for trainer/co-owner Roland “Polie” Mallar despite battling sickness in late August.
Four of his triumphs came in graded stakes – the Battle of Lake Erie (G2) with a world-record performance (pictured above), a division of the Sam McKee Memorial (G2), a division of the Dave Brower Memorial (G3) and the Allerage Open Pace (G3). He also won a Breeders Crown elimination in a lifetime-best 1:47.3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park before finishing third in the Grade 1 final. He capped his campaign with a second-place finish in the FanDuel Open Pace Championship (G1).
“We mapped out a schedule (for this year) that’s pretty much the same as what we did last year,” said Mallar, who owns Ken Hanover with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt. “He had a great season. Hopefully, we can come close to repeating it; that would be nice. But you’ve got to enjoy it while you can. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Last year, it was not uncommon for Ken Hanover to go multiple weeks between races, which is fine with Mallar.
“Two or three weeks off really doesn’t seem to bother him,” Mallar said. “If anything, I think he comes in fresh and is on his toes. I don’t mind racing him once in a while two weeks in a row, but he doesn’t mind two or three weeks off in between. There is quite a bit of money in the fall, and we’d like to keep him as fresh as we can. He’s got enough to do. If I get between 15 and 18 starts with him, that would be terrific.”
Ken Hanover will make his first graded-stakes appearance of this season on Sunday, May 24 in the $100,000 USD Joseph Auger Memorial Invitational (G3) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. He will leave from post eight in a field of eight with Philly’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, in the sulky. He is 8-1 on the morning line.
In his only start so far this year, on May 9 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Ken Hanover won in 1:51 over a sloppy track, also from post eight.
“That was a good race for him,” Mallar said. “It’s a little different class of horse here coming up Sunday, but hopefully we can work out a trip and see what happens.”
Ken Hanover, a son of Captaintreacherous-KJs Justine, has won 22 of 59 career races, hit the board an additional 22 times, and earned $1.45 million. He is making his second appearance in the Auger Memorial, having finished second to Ruthless Hanover in 2024.
“He’s ready to go,” Mallar said. “He’s a really good-feeling horse. As soon as he hits the track, he’s bouncing around and carrying on for like three laps. But you’d never know that he’s a stallion, he hardly ever makes a noise, if any, which is a plus, I think. He’s a little more relaxed now in the paddock than when he was younger. When he got in the paddock, he would be bouncing around and wanted to get at it.
“The last year or so, he’s been a little more relaxed, which is good, but he still knows that when he gets in there it’s time to go. I guess that’s one of his best traits – when he gets in there, his ears are up and he knows what he’s there for.”
Coaches Corner, who finished third in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final (G2) on May 8 at Yonkers Raceway, is the 3-1 morning-line favourite in the Auger. The six-year-old son of Always A Virgin-Carobbean Pacetry will leave from post 1 with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Per Engblom. He has won 37 of 97 lifetime starts, banking $2.16 million.
The field also includes last year’s FanDuel champ Maximus Miki and 2025 Auger Memorial winner Bythemissal.
Preceding the Auger on Sunday’s 15-race program will be the $100,000 USD Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational for older trotters and the $100,000 USD Betsy Ross Invitational for older female pacers. Both are Grade 3 events.
Antognoni S, a six-year-old gelding who has won five consecutive races dating back to last December, is the 2-1 morning-line favourite in the Maxie Lee. He will leave from post four with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke. The field also includes the 2025 Maxie Lee winner, Aetos Kronos S, who will start from post eight with Dexter Dunn driving for Marcus Melander.
Returning two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Miki And Minnie will make her four-year-old debut in the Betsy Ross, starting from post six with Dunn in the sulky for Chris Ryder, and is 4-1 on the morning line. The 5-2 favourite is Louies Girl N, who has won five of seven races this season and leaves from post one with Jason Bartlett driving for Engblom.
Racing begins at 12:40 p.m. (EDT) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The Maxie Lee, Betsy Ross, and Auger Memorial are races 11, 12 and 13. For a free Harrah’s Philadelphia past performance program courtesy the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association website, click here.
(USTA)