Not only did Bythemissal start and win from the outside post in his $130,000 Sam McKee Memorial division, he matched his divisional track record in the process.
On Saturday (Aug. 5), seven horses started from post 10 and three of them found the winner's circle, including both the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks victors. Bythemissal was slated to start from post 10, but the scratch of Billy Clyde allowed him to shift one spot to the inside.
Driver Yannick Gingras hustled the four-year-old off the car for position early, and landed third behind first quarter leader Tattoo Artist (Dexter Dunn) and Workin Ona Mystery (Joe Bongiorno). Tattoo Artist hit the opening panels in :26.3 and :53.4 before Gingras made his move to challenge. Advancing first up, Bythemissal started to make gains on Tattoo Artist through a 1:20.3 third station and around the final turn the front pair started to separate from their rivals.
In the stretch, Bythemissal got a McKee-trademarked "charging hard" call from track announcer Ken Warkentin as he powered past the even-money favourite to win by 2-1/2 lengths with a mile in a lifetime best 1:47.1. Tattoo Artist stayed for second with Taurasi (Todd McCarthy) third.
The mile time matched the track record for four-year-old pacing geldings co-held by Captain Barbossa, Allywag Hanover and Charlie May.
"I didn't really want to be on the front with him," said Gingras after the victory. "You know Tattoo Artist, we all know his racing style...we know he's gonna keep the fractions honest so I was happy to be able to track the pace and my horse was tremendous."
Tremendous today, and tremendous in his career. In 22 lifetime starts, Bythemissal (Downbytheseaside - Dismissal) sports a sparkling 18-2-1 summary with more than $1.32 million in earnings for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa., Eric Good of Davidsonville, Md., Rich Lombardo Racing LLC of Solon, Oh. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pa. He paid $7.20 to win.
Allywag Hanover earned his second Sam McKee Memorial trophy, winning the first of two divisions for open pacers on the Hambletonian Day undercard at The Meadowlands.
Driver Todd McCarthy had Allywag Hanover firing off the gate from post seven, racing four-wide into the first turn. The 2021 McKee champion progressed to the top over the inside leavers as they raced by the first quarter in :26.3 with the favoured Ruthless Hanover (Tim Tetrick), who was widest of all leaving from the outside post, hot on his heels to take over on the way to the half in :53.1.
Allywag Hanover stalked the bettors' choice through three-quarters in 1:20.2 before pouncing from the pocket off the final turn and drawing away by two lengths to win his $128,750 division in 1:47.2. Rallying three-wide turning for home, Backstreet Shadow (Jordan Stratton) chased the winner through the stretch, but Lous Pearlman (David Miller) stormed home from last to nab the runner-up honours.
"We left out of there hard, but there was a bunch that could leave there," said McCarthy of the cavalry charge to the first turn. "I had to do a little more than I wanted to to get around, but full credit to the horse; he dug so deep down by the wire and to win in [1]:47 after leaving like he did, that was a tremendous mile."
Trained by Brett Pelling, the Captaintreacherous-Anderosa Hanover gelding, who is approaching $1.9 million in career earnings, picked up his first win of the season in six starts.
McCarthy agreed that it has been a bit of a turbulant start to Allywag Hanover's six-year-old season, but the world champion who knocked off the great Bulldog Hanover in a 1:46 mile in the Allerage last fall at The Red Mile, is coming back into top form.
"He's always been a horse that takes a few starts to get back to his best there, and unfortunately, we had that bit of a hiccup in Canada [being interfered with in the Mohawk Gold Cup accident] and Brett's done a great job managing him since then and got him back. Today, he was super sound and very happy, and that felt like the old Allywag to have him back like that."
A career winner of 25 races from 60 starts, the pacer is owned by Allywag Stable.
He paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
Click on the following link for coverage of the 2023 Hambletonian and a replay of the day's stakes events.