Apogee Hanover used an explosive stretch kick to take home the biggest payday of her career on Monday thanks to her come-from-behind score in the $130,000 OSS Gold Series final for two-year-old pacing fillies at Mohawk
Racetrack.
With Rick Zeron acting as pinch hitter for programmed driver Scott Zeron, who failed to make it back to Mohawk in time after racing earlier in the day at Rideau Carleton Raceway, Apogee Hanover got away eighth while Legal Entity shot to the front and supplied the field with an opening quarter of :27.2. Legal Entity was still in charge of the tempo at the midway point in :56.2, but YS Gold Star brushed to the top for a brief lead shortly past the half. Race favourite Class Of Nine rolled to the lead moments after YS Gold Star cleared, and she took the field around the final turn and to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3.
Apogee Hanover, in meantime, sat eighth to the half and was tracking cover while still eighth at the three-quarter pole. Things would quickly change, however, when the leaders began to come back to the field. Zeron angled his charge into the middle of the track and the daughter of Jeremes Jet-Aurora Seelster punched home in a :27-second clip to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Jeremes Sweetheart in 1:52.3. Classy Lane Rose, who was last at the three-quarter pole, closed well to finish third.
“I was talking to Scott [who got stuck at the airport in Ottawa] and he gave me all the quirks about her and he said when you pull the plugs on her she’s a different horse and he was right,” said driver Rick Zeron. “Scott told me to try and follow Mark [MacDonald driving Jeremes Sweetheart] because he thought Mark could get me the head of the lane and she should be good off of that. I just drove her the way he mentioned it to me, that’s all.
“She’s like driving a four-year-old mare,” added Zeron. “She was still in hand at
the wire and when she hit the head of the lane, she was just like a four-year-old as she was strong and kept pacing for me.”
Erv Miller trains the filly for owner Roger Hammer of Bedford, PA. Hammer shares ownership on her older brother, Alastor Hanover (1:50.1 - $869,912).
(With quotes from WEG)
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.
Looks like Rick 'Z' Whip
Looks like Rick 'Z' Whip might have got away with one in mid stretch in this race..... I thought the lines had to be in both hands for the entire race. Has the rule changed? maybe Im wrong Smitter