The 2024 season of harness racing concluded at Hanover Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 14 with Ontario Sires Stakes and the Bud & Ethel Fritz Memorial Pace featured on the 10-race card.
Trainer Anthony Beaton and driver Jonathan Drury doubled up in the Grassroots on Saturday, winning the second and third $20,000 divisions.
McWinner (1:57.3; $11.80) tipped into the three-path turning for home after a pocket trip, getting up for the half-length score over pacesetter Sunsational (Travis Henry) and favoured Hide The Wick (Trevor Henry).
Casie Coleman of Wellington, Fl. and Dumain Haven Farm LLC of Pine Bush, N.Y. own McWinner (McWicked - Ive Got Stamina), now a two-time winner with $21.300 in earnings.
Devils Wish (1:57.4; $12.00) went wire-to-wire to win his Grassroots division, holding off a challenge from Belmont Blazer (Travis Henry) down the backside for the one-length score over Grin And Win (Tyler Moore) and Belmont Blazer.
It was a maiden-breaking score for Devils Wish (McWicked - Rocknroll Wishes) who is also owned by Coleman and Dumain Haven along with Ontario's Mac Nichol and Kevin McKinlay.
The division not captured by Drury and Beaton was the fastest division, as Tip Of Time (1:56.2; $4.10, pictured above) started the festivities with a gate-to-wire score. He was nearly four lengths better than Merrow (Tyler Moore) and Thai Tour (Mike Horner).
Hall of Famer Dr. Ian Moore trains Tip Of Time (Shadow Play - Timeless Beauty) for Lindsay Jane Whelan of Calgary, Alta., R G McGroup Ltd. of Bathurst, N.B., Stephen Alden Obrien and Shaun MacIsaac of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The colt is now a two-time winner with $35,250 in earnings.
Sportsline (1:54.1; $4.40) delivered as the public choice in the $10,000 Bud & Ethel Fritz Memorial Pace. Natasha Day engineered the winning trip, sending the eight-year-old horse to the front from post five and then making four left turns before a 3-1/2 length dominant score over Sip Of Bourbon (Travis Henry) and Coz Im Special (Brett MacDonald).
Craig Parrott of Windsor, Ont. owns and Patrick Bissett trains the popular Sportsline (Sportswriter - Angel In Disguise), now a 31-time winner in his career with nearly $290,000 in lifetime purses.
Samuel Fillion picked up his second Leading Driver title in less than 24 hours. After topping the charts at Kawartha Downs, Fillion found the winner's circle more than any other driver at Hanover Raceway in 2024 with 24 visits to the track photographer. He was also the only driver to top six figures in earnings this season at Hanover with $110,686 in purses earned.
Pam Forgie had two chances to break the tie on the training side with Robert Jenkins, Jr., but couldn't find the wire first on this occasion. Thus, Forgie and Jenkins finished tied among trainers at Hanover with six wins to share top trainer honours.
For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Hanover, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)