Speedy sophomore pacer Legendary Hanover added a Tioga Downs track record to his resume, winning a division of the Empire Breeders Classic during Sunday afternoon's New York-bred stakes action.
Tioga Downs hosted the Empire Breeders Classic for New York-bred sophomore pacers with two six-figure divisions for the colts and two for the fillies.
Legendary Hanover conquered his $142,905 division for the Canadian-based driver and trainer team of James MacDonald and Tony Beaton with a 1:48.1 performance to knocked two-fifths of a second off the track record for three-year-old pacers that was set by Vegas Vacation in 2013 and equalled by Courtly Choice in 2018.
Legendary Hanover landed in third off the gate behind Boston Rocks (Jason Bartlett) and outside leaver Huntingforchrome (Matt Kakaley), who used a quick crossover move to lead through a :27.1 first quarter.
But MacDonald put Legendary Hanover on the lead with a lap to go and there was no catching the millionaire colt from there. He cruised to the half in :55.1 before reeling off three-quarters in 1:21.4 with ease then started to open up on his foes turning for home and kept on going for the blowout win with his final quarter clocked in :26.2. Boston Rocks finished seven lengths behind in second and Huntingforchrome was third.
"He's unbelievable," praised MacDonald in a post-race interview. "The only thing with him, you've just got to watch your speed sometimes. I just said I'll let him coast up the backside comfortably and I figured he was going in :27.2, :27.3 and it comes up in :26 and change [to three-quarters]. He does it so easy.
"I've driven Huntingforchrome a couple of times so I knew a little bit about him and he's a great horse. I just let him pace a little bit in the last turn and he's just raring for more all the time."
The sport's fastest pacer in 2024 by virtue of his 1:46.2 Meadowlands track record performance in the Cane Pace that followed his stakes record 1:46.3 Meadowlands Pace victory entered his first New York stakes event following a narrow loss in the Max C. Hempt Memorial last week at Pocono Downs.
"It was a little disappointing last week getting beat, but I thought maybe I made a couple little mistakes, but the horse was sensational and he just showed it again today.
"He's been an unbelievable horse and it's been an unbelievable ride he's taken us on so far and I hope it's just the start."
More to come from this star targeting upcoming Grand Circuit stakes action, including the Little Brown Jug.
An O'Brien Award winner as a freshman, Legendary Hanover has won six of his 10 sophomore starts while adding more than $932,000 to his bankroll. A 12-time winner from 19 races, the son of Huntsville out of Lillian Hanover is owned by Eric Good, West Wins Stable and Mark Dumain.
Legendary Hanover paid $2.10 to win as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite in the field that was reduced to six starters with Supplemental Fee scratched injured.
With a near-perfect sophomore season and riding a four-race win streak in New York stakes action, Howlenthehills was the one to beat in the other colt division and no one could upset the 1-9 favourite as he succeeded in making it five in a row.
Seeing a pair of early leavers cross in front, driver Matt Kakaley put inside starter Howlenthehills in motion early. Escape To America (Jason Bartlett) got the jump on them looping first leader Spring Blake (Greg Merton) at the quarter pole in :27, but Howlenthehills was on top before the next turn. The American Ideal-Arielle Lynn gelding raced on to the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:23.1, rebuffing a first-over bid from Seen Here (Brett Beckwith) through the final turn, and cruised home an 1:50.3 winner with Escape To America giving it a final go approaching the wire but coming up a half-length short. Spring Blake followed in third.
"I just wanted to keep him out of trouble with the rail. He looked like he was the best one in there so as long as I kept him out of trouble that was my only goal here," said Kakaley, later adding, "He gives it his all every time he steps on the track so it makes my job easier."
After failing to find his way to the winner's circle in his freshman season, Howlenthehill has made amends going 11-for-12 this year and boosting his career earnings to $580,967 for trainer Travis Alexander and owner Symmetry Stables.
Three-year-old pacing fillies also faced off in two Empire Breeders Classic divisions, each worth $145,946.
The popular Blake MacIntosh trainee A Few Choice Words prevailed in a three-way photo finish to take the first filly event in 1:52 by a head over rivals Camerican and Peace Talks.
"That was an epic stretch battle," said winning driver Jim Marohn Jr. "All three horses were as hard as they could towards the wire and I was just grateful enough that my horse prevailed."
The stretch battle set up with A Few Choice Words intent on leading the way out of the gate from post two and retaking command from outside leaver Shes Epic (Matt Kakaley) after the 27-second opening quarter. The even-money choice led to the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.3 with Peace Talks (Jason Bartlett) and Camerican (Jordan Stratton) underway from the backfield. A Few Choice Words fought back when Peace Talks took a short lead in the final turn and those two fillies were joined by Camerican, who rallied off cover, in the fight to the finish. A Few Choice Words paid $4.30 to win.
The daughter of MacIntosh's champion stallion Courtly Choice out of Top Choice Hanover is owned by Clancy Farms of Severn, Ont. With seven wins in New York stakes competition, she has earned $278,835 from a dozen seasonal starts. Lifetime, she sports a record reading 11-5-0 from 21 starts with a bankroll totalling $354,057.
Heavy favourite Tarrific delivered her third straight winning effort in New York stakes for her connections, taking the other filly division in 1:51.
Driven by Jason Bartlett, Tarrific landed in third early on as Hunting Hula (Mark MacDonald) worked past Avyanna (Matt Kakaley) through a contested :26.3 first quarter then stole a breather to the half in :56.1. Down the backstretch, Bartlett made the winning move in rein to the 1-9 favourite and swept up to take the lead at the 1:23.3 third quarter mark. Tarrific cleared turning for home and took off by more than two lengths, paying $2.30 to win. Leannes Choice (Marcus Miller) finished second over Ponynamedwildfire (James MacDonald).
"She's such a pleasure to drive," commented Bartlett after the race. "She's not real quick at anything, but she just wears everybody down. She's been so great everytime I've driven her."
Chris Ryder trains the Huntsville-Road Bet filly, who will be headed to the New York Sire Stakes championships at Yonkers Raceway in two weeks with her four prior wins in the state-bred program. The Empire Breeders Classic marked the her fifth career win and boosted her bankroll to $342,639 for owners Margaret Dey and Let It Ride Stables Inc.
A pair of $69,595 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for two-year-old pacing colts opened the Sunday afternoon program, with Thirsty Thursday taking a non-wagering division and Holt Hanover winning his pari-mutuel mile.
Driven by Matt Kakaley, Thirsty Thursday emerged from the five-pack off the gate with the lead in his division and after his inside stablemate Fort Lauderdale (Mark MacDonald) and the previously undefeated Fast Choice (Doug McNair) broke stride by the first turn into a :26.4 quarter, it was clear sailing for the Huntsville-Tequila Monday colt. The Travis Alexander trainee cruised through middle splits of :56 and 1:23.4 en route to the 1-1/4-length victory in a career-best 1:51.2. Courts On Fire (Greg Merton) overtook Oogleville (Jason Bartlett) in the race for place.
Avenging his first career loss in a NYSS won by Fast Choice during the last Vernon Downs leg, Thirsty Thursday is now four-for-five for owners Flying A Racing Stable and Chuck Pompey.
Firing off the gate from the inside post in the next division, Holt Hanover and driver Mark MacDonald pocketed the leaving 3-5 favourite Silent Weapon (Matt Kakaley) and opened up a quick three-length lead through a :26.4 first quarter. As he was free-wheeling on the front through a :54.1 half, 2-1 second choice Dandy Ideal (Leon Bailey) launched a first-over attack from third and was able to reel in the leader down the backstretch, edging ahead by a quarter-length at three-quarters in 1:21.2. However, Holt Hanover fought back around the final turn and was a game first-time winner in 1:50.4, holding off Dandy Ideal and the passing lane plunge of longshot Watch My Warrior (Barton Dalious). He paid $9.40 to win as the 7-2 third choice.
Atfer knocking at the door with four prior top three finishes in NYSS action, Holt Hanover broke through for the win in his sixth career start. Ray Schnittker trains and co-owns the Huntsville-Heart Major colt with Joe Sbrocco, Gunjan Patel and Gewertz Latore Palumbo.
(Standardbred Canada)