Once again living up to his name, Ruthless Hanover showed no mercy to his opponents in the $22,535 Winners Over Handicap Pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, July 19, pacing to the easiest of wins in 1:49.4.
The Somebeachsomewhere-Rockaroundthetrack gelding, who raised his lifetime earnings to $1,215,240 for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner John – had to do some work early in the mile. He raced three-wide to the eighth then two-wide to command nearing the :27 quarter, but there were no anxious moments after that for his backers, who almost created a minus win pool in their support of him.
George Napolitano Jr. went past the middle splits in :55.2 and 1:22.2 with Ruthless Hanover, and he had a good hold on his horse as the nine-year-old gelding finished out with a :27.1 kicker. Captain Crusader A (Simon Allard) came up the inside to edge out Blue Lou (Jonathan Ahle) for second, 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner.
Ruthless Hanover, who set the overall world record on a five-eighths-mile track with his 1:46.3 mile at Philly in May 2023, is three-for-seven this season. Sunday's win was his 31st lifetime in 89 starts. He paid $2.10 to win.
In an $18,310 fast-class conditioned pacing subfeature, Taranaki ($7.60), a roan five-year-old son of Huntsville-Free Fi Girl, was in control of the pace throughout the mile. The stallion put up fractions of :26.4, :54.3 and 1:22 en route to an easy victory by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:50. Johnathan Ahle (who two races earlier had posted the highest win price of the year at Philly, $126.80, with the aptly-named Sudden Impact), was in the sulky behind Taranaki for trainer Paul Jessop, who shares ownership with Laurie Molnar.
Smooth Dream went out to take early control in the $19,718 top conditioned pace for developing horses, got to the quarter in :27.1 and half in :56.2, and passed the three quarters in 1:23.3 before stopping the timer in 1:51. The altered four-year-old son of Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte, a multi-stakes winner in the New Jersey program at three, had to be good to hold off a tough challenge from pocket-sitter Charlies Wish (George Napolitano Jr.), but Ahle kept the Noel Daley trainee going to win by three parts of a length. The Dragon Reborn (Art Stafford Jr.) was third. The winner is owned by Bay Pond Racing Stable, CTC Stable and KDP Stable LLC.
Johnathan Ahle and Troy Beyer each brought home three winners on the 15-race card. George Napolitano Jr. and Trae Porter checked home first twice each.
Michael Shults, Yogi Sheridan and Geovany Hernandez won the card's three races for the American Harness Drivers Club.
Racing will resume at 12:25 p.m. at Harrah’s Philadelphia on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with the usual assortment of high-calibre diamondgaited horses ready for competition.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Ruthless Hanover winning on May 28, 2023)