A horse named after one of harness racing's most watched on-track incidents is certainly making a name for himself with his own on-track actions.
Piercewave Hanover, who already owned the national season’s record for two-year-old gelding trotters on a five-eighths-mile track, lowered that mark with a facile front-end victory in 1:56.1 in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows.
The $233,008 event, known as the Florida Pro, was contested over four divisions, with Billy Flynn, Lima Pride and Walter White taking the other splits. Dave Palone enjoyed a stake double with Piercewave Hanover and Walter White among his five wins on the 16-race card.
Named after the now infamous stretch drive wave Ron Pierce (driving Piercewave Hanover's dam Passionate Glide) gave Trond Smedhammer and Queen Serene in the race-off of the 2006 Kentucky Filly Futurity, Piercewave Hanover established the former mark in a July 15 PASS split at The Meadows when he was ahead at every call. He duplicated that feat Tuesday, meaning that he never has been behind in his two-race career. Will the son of Donato Hanover-Passionate Glide be as effective off the trot? Palone thinks he will be.
“Every time you ask on him, he’s got more trot for you,” Palone said. “I think he’ll be even better chasing. He’s very lethargic on the lead —- you have to talk to him the whole way. But he’s always willing to give you more. The first time he has to track down a really good horse, he’ll love it. Big future, I think.”
Explosive Drama was 1-1/2 lengths back in second, with Keystone Bodacious third. Chris Oakes trains Piercewave Hanover for Hauser Brothers Racing and J&T Silva Stables.
Billy Flynn extended his career unbeaten streak to four when he jogged on the front end for Brett Miller in 1:56.4, 3-1/4 lengths better than My Cousin Vinnie. Bighandsbiggloves earned show. As is his custom, Billy Flynn bore out in the stretch, but Staffan Lind, who trains the son of Cantab Hall-Zeta Jones for Bender Sweden Inc., continues to regard that as a non-issue.
“He still had the ear plugs in. This was easy for him today,” Lind said. “He trots perfect. When we get on a big track, we’ll gear him a little bit differently, and he’ll be straight.”
Lima Pride atoned for a break in the Arden Downs when he vaulted to the lead for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt and triumphed in 1:57.2. Shoot The Thrill was second, 1-1/2 lengths in arrears, with Pierre third.
“I don’t know why he broke last race,” Svanstedt said, “but in his first race, he hit the sulky, and I thought he did the same last race. So today we had a higher and wider bike, and he didn’t hit it.”
Top Ten Racing Stable owns Lima Pride, a son of Muscle Massive-Pacific Legacy who has captured both his PASS starts.
Walter White concluded the PASS action with a maiden-breaking victory for Palone and Takter, a two-and-a-half length winner in 1:56.2. The son of Cantab Hall - Muscaloosa is owned by Christina Takter of East Windsor, N.J, along with Canadians John and Jim Fielding of Toronto and R A W Equine Inc. of Burlington, Ont.
In the $20,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot, converted claimer Boytown made it four straight with a 9-1, Lightning Lane victory for Aaron Merriman and owner/trainer Chelsey Wibert in a career-best 1:52.4. Tall Cotton finished second, 1/2 length back, while Better Caviar completed the ticket. The five-year-old American Winner-P Town Girl gelding now boasts $254,658 in lifetime earnings.
Stakes racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday with a $100,000 PA Stallion Series stake for freshman colt and gelding pacers. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(with files from The Meadows)