Traverse Seelster made it look easy as he rolled to victory in the 10th edition of the $100,000 Dream Of Glory on Saturday night at Hanover Raceway providing trainer Frank O’Reilly with his third victory in the track’s signature event
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Elimination winner Traverse Seelster and Hall of Fame driver Doug Brown forged to front from post position three and cleared at :28.1 opening quarter. He proceeded to the half in :58 and three-quarters in 1:27.3 while widening his lead along the way. The Angus Hall-Travelin Lavec gelding opened up nearly five lengths on the field down the stretch and hit the wire in 1:57.3 for his fifth consecutive victory. Frill Seeker (Stuart Sowerby) rallied wide around stalling cover at the three-quarters mark to come on for second while Sir Tyson (Ross Battin) picked up third.
“The race pretty much went the way I hoped it would,” said Brown after the triumph. “I wasn’t to sure about the early speed there -– both horses on the inside could leave real good -– but he [Traverse Seelster] was pretty wound up tonight. Last week he was quiet and tonight he was pretty wound up so I didn’t have much of a choice but to put him on the lead tonight. Luckily he made the front in a decent time and he carried it from there.
“It’s great to win a race anywhere,” added the veteran reinsman, “but at a small track in a big race like this and you see the people in the grandstand, it makes you think back to the older days when the grandstands were all full and this is just great to see people out like this tonight.”
Traverse Seelster now sports a sophomore record reading 6-2-2 in 10 starts for O’Reilly and Quebec owners Franco Cianci of St-Laurent, Isidoro Russo of Montreal and Vincenzo Monticciolo of Laval. Last year’s Balanced Image champion at Hanover watched his career earnings climb to $153,590 thanks to the win.
“This is over the top. We got the hat trick here and we love Hanover,” said O’Reilly, who was joined by Russo in the winner’s circle celebrations. “Mr. Russo has been a great owner for years. He’s owned horses for 45 years and he flew in tonight to watch this colt race so the heat was on. I had to make sure he’d be right. He’s getting his picture taken and everybody loves a winner.”
Traverse Seelster paid $4 to win as the even-money favourite.
After leaving from Post 8, Major Herbie ($5.50) and trainer-driver Wayne Henry ducked into pocket before pulling back out and kicking away to a five length victory in the $15,000 consolation. The three-year-old Here Comes Herbie-Independent Dame ridgling, owned by the Henry Stable of Arthur, Ont. and Daniel McCann of Parkhill, Ont., stopped the clock in 1:58.
For results from Saturday’s harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results – Hanover Raceway.