Heavily-favoured Lucan Hanover and Mach Set Go captured their respective divisions of the Summertime Pacing Series during Friday evening’s 12-race card at Mohawk Racetrack, and that was music to the ears of the favourite players.
Lucan Hanover, who was a 1:50.1 winner in last week’s opening leg assignment, overcame some serious traffic issues around the final turn en route to posting a 1:51.4 score in his division for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Casie Coleman.
Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, Lucan Hanover found himself next-to-last in the nine-horse affair as the field arrived at three-quarter pole. Closing Credits whacked out splits of :27, :56.2 and 1:24.1, but even those sensible splits weren’t enough to get him home on time. Lucan Hanover fanned out wide at the head of the lane and used a :26.1 closing quarter to sprint past foes in the lane. He drew clear to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Burning Shore, with Closing Credits finished third.
The three-year-old son of Western Ideal-Lauren Order, who is a four-time winner this season and a five-time winner to date, is owned by the West Wins Stable of Cambridge and Christine Calhoun of Chatham, ON. The victory boosted his overall earnings to $71,320.
Mach Set Go, who was second to Lucan Hanover in last week’s first leg of the series, dodged that bearcat and posted a win of his own in the Friday’s second division. Sylvain Filion grabbed an early three-hole trip for the Stephane Larocque trainee, who brushed to the front at the mid-way point in :55 and then led the group to the three-quarter marker in 1:22.2. He cruised home in :29.1 to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Dull Roar in 1:51.3. Third prize was earned by Nickle Bag.
The victory was the first of the season – and the second to date – for the career winner of $51,414. The three-year-old son of Mach Three-Lyons Mandi is owned by 9174 7998 Quebec Inc of St-Janvier-Mirabel, QC.
The $47,000 final of the Summertime Series is scheduled to go postward at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, July 29.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.