Shimmering Hanover turned in a dazzling Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) record performance, winning one of four divisions for sophomore trotters on Saturday, Aug. 15 at The Meadows.
Driver Yannick Gingras sent the Luc Blais-trained Shimmering Hanover toward the lead from the start in the first of two $69,064 divisions for fillies, and after a long stretch through a :27.3 opening quarter, the pair cleared by the three-eighths pole and reached the half in :55.2. Heading toward the three-quarters in 1:23.3, Shimmering Hanover was briefly challenged by pocket-sitter Ginger Tree Lex (Andrew McCarthy), but the Captain Corey-Star Hanover filly trotted away with a 28-second final quarter to seal the victory in a stakes record and new lifetime mark of 1:51.3. Shemightbetheone (Dave Palone) and Islandgirl Hanover (Trond Smedshammer) came on for second and third, respectively.
Shimmering Hanover paid $14.20 to win as the 6-1 second choice on the tote board to favoured Hambletonian Oaks starter Lainey W (Dexter Dunn), who finished fourth.
A Grand Circuit stakes winner as a freshman, Shimmering Hanover earned her first Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victory and is now six-for-18 lifetime with earnings of $209,784 for owner Determination of Montreal, Que.
The other $68,508 filly division was won by trainer Roger Hammer's homebred Little Road and Brady Brown in wire-to-wire fashion in a career-best clocking of 1:52 flat. Brown was able to get a second-quarter breather for the even-money favourite as she cruised clear on top through panels of :27.4, :57 and 1:24.3 en route to the 1-3/4-length triumph over Nuance (Dexter Dunn) and Maya Patel Hanover (Yannick Gingras).
Following a pair of close runner-up performances in the previous two Sire Stakes legs, the daughter of Fordham Road out of A Little Laid Back matched her seasonal win count from her freshman campaign and is now 12-for-20 lifetime with earnings of $237,300.
Gingras was also aboard the fastest division winner of the male trotters as Geologic won his $68,474 split in a career-best 1:52.1 for trainer Paul Kelley. Taking control from Highland Destiny (Tim Tetrick) after a :26.4 opener, Gingras rated middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.3 for Geologic before turning back a first-over challenge from Highball Hanover (Andy McCarthy), who ended up third in the field with two breakers. Highland Destiny was the runner-up, finishing 2-3/4 lengths behind the popular winner.
The son of Captain Corey-Crystalline gelding, who improved to six-for-16 lifetime and lifted his earnings to $330,017, is owned by Paul Kelley Racing Stable of Lake Worth, Florida, Go For Glory Stable of Metuchen, New Jersey, Matthew Lamont of Simpsonville, South Carolina and Vip Internet Stable of Piscataway, New Jersey.
Fresh off his third-place finish behind an epic Hambletonian duel, Minoan captured the other $69,029 Sire Stakes division for male trotters in a career-best 1:52.2 mile with Andy McCarthy taking the reins for trainer Noel Daley. McCarthy placed the gelded son of Bar Hopping-Regal Woman on the lead from the outside post six before surrendering the top spot to Overseer (Charlie Norris) after a :27.2 opening quarter. Minoan followed in the pocket through fractions of :56.3 and 1:24.3 before overtaking Overseer in a :27.3 final quarter by three-quarters of a length. Dilly Hanover (Dave Palone) rounded out the top three.
Daley co-owns Minoan in partnership with Patricia Stables of Massapequa, New York, L A Express Stable of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania and Sjoeblom Racing of Delray Beach, Florida. Minoan now has seven wins from 21 career starts with earnings totalling $491,173.
Five $27,778 divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series were also contested and the filly winners were: Berry Good News (Dave Palone) in 1:54.1 for trainer Nifty Norman; I Take The Cake (Dave Palone) in 1:53.2 for Blake MacIntosh; and Wendalyn Hanover (Tim Tetrick) in 1:54.2 for Britney Dillon. The divisions for colts and geldings went to: Captain Jordan (Yannick Gingras) in 1:53.3 for trainer Scott Di Domenico; and Captain Micah (Mike Wilder) in 1:54.3 for Travis Alexander.
After posting a wicked :25.2 closing quarter from last to come with a half-length of victory in a division of the Sam McKee Memorial on Hambletonian Day, Surreal Ideal overcame his outside post eight assignment in a $27,778 Open Handicap Pace on Saturday to score in 1:48.2. Mike Wilder drove for trainer Vernon Beachy and Ohio owners 518 Group and Gitup Racing as the eight-year-old So Surreal-Jkmusicofthenite gelding won his fourth Open at The Meadows this year.
(Standardbred Canada with files from MSOA)