Four star-studded Open events provided a powerful prelude to the Grade 1 stakes featured at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Sylvia Hanover added another victory to her dazzling resume, taking the $75,000 Fillies & Mares Free-For-All Pace in 1:50 flat with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Shawn Steacy.
Grit N Grace (Jody Jamieson) fired first from the middle of the gate with post nine leaver Kobes Gigi (Yannick Gingras) parked and pressing past a :26 quarter. As Kobes Gigi worked to clear, 77-1 longshot Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) went wide from behind the top pair to take over at the half in :54.2 and she raced on to three-quarters in 1:22.2 with Sylvia Hanover advancing first-up from fourth and Talk Curdy To Me (James MacDonald) tracking her cover.
Sylvia Hanover took the lead down the stretch with Talk Curdy To Me closing outside, Grit N Grace splitting through in between late and 126-1 early trailer Glenboro (Tyler Borth) finding room at the pylons in a sprint to the finish. But Sylvia Hanover held them all off in a :27.1 final quarter, prevailing by half a length. Talk Curdy To Me got second over Glenboro and Grit N Grace.
Sylvia Hanover was sent postward as the 1-9 favourite following her Milton Stakes runner-up finish in her latest matchup with Twin B Joe Fresh last weekend and paid $2.10 to win.
The 2023 Horse of the Year is now 27-for-49 lifetime and went over $2.7 million in career earnings for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable of Hudson, Que. The five-year-old daughter of Always B Miki and Shyaway has earned more than $500,000 this year, with six wins in 10 seasonal starts, including three Grand Circuit stakes victories.
Before going on to win a pair of the evening's stakes events, the hot-handed Louis-Philippe Roy drove Ervin Hanover to victory in the $75,000 Free-For-All Pace for trainer Dave Menary. The 3-5 favourite matched his lifetime mark of 1:47.2, taken in his last start two weeks ago in the Jim Ewart Memorial at Scioto Downs.
Longshot leaver Poseidon Seelster (Bob McClure) launched off the gate from the outside post nine at 103-1 before Remember The Alamo (James MacDonald) swept to the top in a sizzling :25.4 opening quarter. Huntinthelastdolar (Jason Bartlett) then made his move from third and once he cleared, Ervin Hanover went on the attack from fourth as they raced by half in :54. Sweeping to the top and accelerating away by more than three lengths past three-quarters in 1:20.3, Ervin Hanover was untouchable as he spun into the stretch. Huntinthelastdolar chased in vain, finishing four lengths behind in second, while Oakwood Ardan IR (Jordan Stratton) overtook Remember The Alamo for third.
Remember The Alamo was the subject of a judges inquiry when he made a break in stride near three-quarters and interfered with multiple horses. As a result of causing interference, he was placed eighth.
A millionaire son of Captaintreacherous out of Eloquent Grace, Ervin Hanover has now won five of his last six starts and a total of seven races from 13 starts in his five-year-old campaign. He's earned $567,846 this year for owner Pollack Racing of Venetia, Pennsylvania.
Ervin Hanover paid $3.50 to win.
Antognoni S made his Canadian debut a winning one with a career-best 1:51.2 performance in the Free-For-All Trot for trainer Ron Burke, who also had success later during the evening's stakes action.
Favoured two-time O'Brien Award winner Logan Park (Doug McNair) got the first call in his return from a four-week layoff with Osceola (Dexter Dunn) trotting forward into the turn and taking over at the :27 quarter marker while Antognoni S tracked in third for Yannick Gingras. Osceola led the field of 10 trotters in single-file alignment down the backstretch to the half in :55.4 before rivals starting popping off the pylons on the way to three-quarters in 1:24. Logan Park got the jump on Antognoni S into the final turn and took over the lead in the stretch, but Antognoni S was closing quickly to his outside and got up just before the wire to score by half a length. Drawn Impression (Scott Zeron) closed well for third.
Antognoni S was the slight second choice at 5-2 and paid $7.90 to win. The five-year-old gelding now boasts a dozen victories in 17 starts during his first season racing in North America while earning $362,908.
Gingras shares ownership of the Swedish-bred son of Father Patrick out of Bouncing Bax with Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and Fac Racing of Scarsdale, New York.
Kingmen reigned in the $50,000 Two-Year-Old Open Trot, overpowering his rivals to take a new lifetime mark of 1:55.1 for trainer Per Engblom.
Driver Doug McNair waited for the dust to settle behind a three-high cavalry charge to the first turn then made a quarter-pole move with 1-9 favourite Kingmen. Crunchintheodds (Tyler Borth) got the jump on the bettors' choice from the pocket and looped around :27.3 first-quarter leader Storybook Love (Chris Christoforou) before Kingmen cleared him at the half in :58.4. Once on top, Kingmen ruled, widening his lead by more than two lengths through three-quarters in 1:27.4 and drawing off down the lane. Land The Plane (Jody Jamieson) flew home first-over but Storybook Love re-emerged in the stretch to nab the runner-up role just ahead of that rival.
Kingmen, dropping out of stakes competition for the first time in his career and coming off a close second in the Champlain Stakes last time out, paid $2.30 to win as the favourite. The six-figure earning son of Walner and Pats Inspiration is just shy of the $150,000 mark with career summary reading 2-3-0 in eight starts. He is owned by Peaceful Acre Farm of York, Pennsylvania and Klee Bolasci And Vierno of Mineola, New York.
To view Saturday's complete harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Sylvia Hanover winning on Sept. 20)