The second night of Grand Circuit Week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs saw the two-year-old pacing fillies grabbing the spotlight and producing the fastest times of the 2009 season for the freshman gals on a five-eighths mile oval
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Hope Lane Hanover, a two-year-old AllAmerican Native filly trained by Randy Bendis and driven by Mike Simons, strutted her stuff with a front end victory in the second division of six W. N. Reynolds Memorial Stake.
Leaving from the one post, Hope Lane Hanover wired the field, getting to the opening quarter in :27, half in :56.2, three-quarters in 1:24 before stopping the timer in 1:53.1. Second in this race was Rosies Pride (Andrew McCarthy) with third going to Manuo Cornuto (Jim Morrill Jr.).
“She’s scary fast,” trainer Bendis told Simons prior to the race. Bendis also said she was the best filly he’s ever trained and she didn’t disappoint Wednesday night in the $25,000 second division.
“I attempted to calm her down,” said Simons in the winner’s circle. “But she hit the sulky and really started to go. She’s a work in the progress.”
Later in the evening, it was Sand Windsor's turn to “strut her stuff” and this Real Desire youngster also didn’t disappoint. Brett Miller was in the bike with Sand Windsor, who won in 1:53.2 with Bordeaux Nourrir (Greg Grismore) second and Feel The Jolt (Joe Pavia Jr.) third.
Miller also wound up sweeping the two divisions of the Reynolds for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters. In the first division, he piloted Wuthering Hanover to a head win over Magic Carpet Ride (DeWayne Minor) with Howthehaloareyou (McCarthy) third. Time of this mile was 1:54.3.
Jonas Czernyson trains Wuthering Hanover, a winner for the first time in 2009 on the third start of the season.
Czernyson and Miller also won the second division of the Reynolds sophomore trotters with Select Yankee. Select Yankee, winning for the second time in four starts this year, stopped the timer in 1:53.4, just three ticks off the world colt mark of three-year-old Caviar Crown, established this past June 10 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with Dave Palone in the bike.
A 17-1 long shot, All Heart Gal won the first of the six divisions for the two-year-old pacing fillies with Greg Grismore in the bike. Grismore game the winner a two-hole trip and beat front runner Sammys Magic Girl (Miller) by a neck. Luis Porfilio trains All Heart Gal, now two-for-two lifetime after winning a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race at the Meadows in her only other start.
(Pocono Downs)