A first turn break in stride of heavy favourite Hot Wheelz opened the door wide enough for Remember Titans to step on through and easily win the 2020 Dream Of Glory Trot on Saturday (August 1) at Hanover Raceway.
Eight Ontario-sired trotters went postward in the $76,300 Final, with Hot Wheelz attracting most of the attention after his 1:57 a week ago.
A trio of trotters were eager for the early lead, with Hot Wheelz (Jody Jamieson) making a break and taking himself out of contention early. Doug McNair landed Remember Titans on the lead ahead of True Brew (James MacDonald) with the first quarter reached in :29.1. Elim winner Field Gunner (Bob McClure) advanced first-up to challenge the leader, who backed down the tempo with the half reached in 1:00.2.
That second-quarter breather definitely worked to the advantage of Remember Titans, who picked up the third quarter speed with a 1:30.1 third panel. Field Gunner wasn't gaining, but Chris Christoforou was able to sneak Awesomedabra off the pylons around the final turn and launch a three-wide bid. McNair kept Remember Titans on task and the colt comfortable trotted home with :29 speed to trip the timer in 1:59.1. Awesomedabra was just over a length back in second and True Brew staying for third.
"I just wanted to make sure I was one of the first ones out of there in the first turn to keep my position and we got him out of there on the right foot," McNair said after the win. "I saw Hot Wheelz was on the run...you don't like to see that happen to anybody but he was the best horse in the race and I figured that once he was out of it we had a real good shot."
McNair noted that his horse felt strong and he was confident turning for home that he had more than enough to get the job done for the connections and his backers.
"I was just making sure we got out of that last turn, I knew we had lots of trot left. I figured if I got him out of that last turn he could do the rest."
The win in the Dream Of Glory was the first for trainer Shawn Steacy and the first for McNair, who's certainly no stranger to spending Saturdays at Hanover Raceway.
"A lot of people don't know this but I grew up around these parts. I used to come here every Saturday night when I was a kid and run around the cafeteria. I spent a lot of nights here waiting for horses to cool out, that's for sure."
Remember Titans (E L Titan - Oaklea Samantha) sports a solid 3-3-0 summary from six sophomore starts, with the lion's share of the purse lifting his seasonal total to $70,850 for Landmark 12 Racing Stable of Lansdowne, Ont., Dale Larson of Kent City, Mich. and A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, Ont.
The win for McNair was his fourth of the card, winning the first three races of the day aboard Frownies Miracle (1:57, $25.80), Dubai Seelster (1:58.3, $4.00) and Lets Roar (2:00.1, $6.90). After winning the Dream Of Glory with Remember Titans, he'd conclude his drives at Hanover with his fifth win of the day courtesy Better Moonon Over (1:55.1, $2.70) to bring his nation-leading seasonal total to 147 victories.
Earlier on the card, Sir Pugsley (Jody Jamieson) avoided backstretch breakers with a three-wide brush at the three-quarter mark to pounce on a hard-used pacesetter Casimir Swamp Girl (Bob McClure) to win the $10,000 Gail Murray Appreciation Pace by a head in 1:54.4. Patrick Shepherd trains the six-year-old son of American Ideal - A And A for owner Robert Woodburn of St Thomas, Ont.
To view the results for Saturday's card of harness racing at Hanover Raceway, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.