When it comes to racing, “Hal” is a prince.
Prince Hal Hanover, the winner of three consecutive races to begin his campaign this season, will look to keep his streak going on Saturday, May 30 against 10 rivals in the $101,250 opening round of the Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers, as the Grand Circuit heads to Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The 12-race card also includes the first leg of the Graduate Series for trotters as well as the $140,500 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes (Grade 3) for three-year-old male pacers. Prince Hal Hanover won a division of the Somebeachsomewhere, a final prep for the upcoming Pepsi North America Cup, in 2025. It was one of four graded stakes triumphs for Prince Hal Hanover last year, along with the Delvin Miller Adios (Grade 1), Carl Milstein Memorial (Grade 2) and a division of the Bluegrass Stakes (Grade 3).
“He’s such a pleasure to drive,” said Todd McCarthy, who has been behind the Dr. Ian Moore-trained stallion for 17 of his past 18 races. “He’s a really genuine and honest horse, and I love that about him. There are really no tricks to him; he goes out there and does whatever you ask him to do. He’s just a beautiful-natured horse and he loves his job. He gives you everything that he’s got every time he’s there.
“Ian Moore has done a great job with him. He’s a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to getting behind him again on Saturday.”
Prince Hal Hanover will start from post three in the Graduate and is the 7-5 second choice on the morning line behind 6-5 favourite Bruno No No No. Prince Hal Hanover heads to the race off a season-opening win the $135,135 Pacey Mindlin Memorial Invitational (Grade 3) at Eldorado Scioto Downs, with David Miller in the sulky, and victories in his elimination and the $259,500 final of the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup (Grade 2) for four-year-old pacers at Flamboro Downs.
He won his Juravinski elim on Flamboro’s half-mile oval in 1:49.2 to set a track and Canadian record for a pacing stallion, which was broken shortly thereafter when Bruno No No No won his elim in 1:48.2 to become the fastest pacer ever on a Canadian half-mile track. Prince Hal Hanover captured the Juravinski final in 1:50, with Bruno No No No finishing third behind another Graduate contender, Sugar Man.
“Obviously, I’ve been very pleased with him,” McCarthy said about Prince Hal Hanover’s start to 2026. “He’s put in a couple big efforts up there in Canada. He seems to have come back really strong this year.”
Prince Hal Hanover, a son of Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip, has won 13 of 34 career races, finished second in nine of his 12 remaining top-three efforts, and earned $1.74 million for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont.
“He’s got a lot of high speed and he’s got a lot of strength, and those two things combined are really what make an ideal racehorse,” said McCarthy. “But the fact his attitude is there too – I think [the lack of that] is a big downfall for a lot of horses. Whenever he’s on point, he does whatever he can for you and he loves doing it. That’s nice to work with, for sure.”
Bruno No No No, trained by Dave Menary, will start the Graduate from post two, with Doug McNair in the sulky. Saba Rock, with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Per Engblom, will leave from post one and is 6-1 on the morning line. Sugar Man, another Menary trainee, will go from post five, with Louis-Philippe Roy at the lines and is 8-1.
McCarthy will drive for Menary in the Graduate event for trotters, sitting behind four-year-old gelding Hey Porter in the field of 11. Hey Porter, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, will start from post nine. The son of Bar Hopping-Chelsees A Winner has hit the board in 18 of 29 career races, winning eight, and earned $375,283. He is owned by Pollack Racing of Venetia, Pennsylvania.
“He’s a nice horse,” said McCarthy, who has driven Hey Porter on two previous occasions. “He’s probably going to need a bit of luck from [post nine], but he’s definitely got a lot of ability and a lot of speed. We’ll figure that one out as we go.”
Mr Mouton, leaving from post eight with James MacDonald driving for trainer Ake Svanstedt, is the 3-1 morning-line choice in the Graduate for trotters. Last year, he won four races, with two in 1:50.1 to equal the world record for a three-year-old trotting gelding.
In the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, Brandon Blvd is the 6-5 morning line favourite, leaving from post six with Bartlett driving for trainer Andrew Harris. The colt won two graded stakes last season and captured the $135,135 Paul Revere Pace (Grade 3) at Plainridge Park in his only start of this year.
Sweet Lovin Lou, starting from post seven with MacDonald driving for trainer Dan Lagace, is the 7-2 second choice. All 10 Somebeachsomewhere starters are eligible to the North America Cup (eliminations June 6, final June 13) at Mohawk.
Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. at Mohawk. Free past performance for Mohawk's Saturday card are available by clicking here.
To view Saturday's complete harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(USTA)