A trip to Lexington, Kentucky proved to be a very profitable one on Thursday for trainer/driver Riina Rekila, who pulled off a 52-1 stunner with Christiana Hanover
in the $232,750 Moni Maker at The Red Mile.
Christiana Hanover, who is known for her off-the-pace prowess, had an abundance of speed to chase thanks to the speedy Bramalea Hanover and Bar Slide.
Bramalea Hanover (Ron Pierce) took the field to the quarter pole in :27.1 before giving way to the parked out Bar Slide (Tim Tetrick). That filly, fresh off her win in the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks Final, laid down middle splits of :55 and 1:23.1 before getting swarmed by a convoy of backfield challengers.
One of those challengers was Christiana Hanover, who rallied into the slowing pace and got up in time to pull off the stunning upset in 1:54.2 over Glide Power (Brian Sears) and Bramalea Hanover. Bar Slide, after feeling the sting of those wild fractions, faded late and finished fourth.
It was the fourth win of the season for Christiana Hanover, a three-year-old daughter of Andover Hall-CR Calendar Girl who is owned by Overseas Farms Ltd of Campbellville, ON. The lion’s share of the purse helped the filly’s earnings soar to $239,578, and that’s not bad considering she was an $11,000 purchase from the 2008 Harrisburg Yearling Sale.