After chasing for a no-match second behind a track-record 1:49 performance from Lous Starr last week, Icaco Hanover got his share of the spotlight on Monday, Sept. 28, when he posted a career-best 1:49.3 victory in the $18,310 Open Handicap Pace at Rosecroft Raceway.
With Russell Foster at the lines, Icaco Hanover sprinted to the lead from post four and tore through fractions of :25.4, :54.1 and 1:21.3 before repelling a stern first-over challenge from Dontmesswithles (Fern Paquet Jr.) on the far turn. The five-year-old Stay Hungry-Ideal Weather gelding worked to extend his winning margin to two lengths and take two seconds off his previous lifetime mark, taken earlier this season at Ocean Downs. Dontmesswithles sustained his pursuit to hold second; Layton Hanover (Jonathan Roberts) finished third.
Megan Foster trains 16-time winner Icaco Hanover, who has now earned $320,268 from 84 starts, for Russell Foster Racing LLC. He paid $2.60 to win as the 1-5 favorite.
On the undercard, a trio of Maryland-sired three-year-olds completed sweeps of their preliminary Maryland Sire Stakes divisions to top their respective brackets heading into the $800,000 USD Maryland Showcase of Champions program, which will take place Oct. 11.
In the first $14,085 section for pacing fillies, held as a non-betting race, summer series champ Thatsloveto followed up her 1:57.2 first-round win with a last-to-first, 1:56 score by 2-1/2 lengths over Pamfin (Russell Foster), with Areta (Shawn Johnston) third. Johnathan Ahle drove the Dapper Dude-I Cant Stoplovinu filly for owner/trainer Dominik Miga.
The second pacing filly split also had a repeat winner as Hagerman Racing's More Than Better ($2.10), a More The Better N-Aristobrat Hanover filly in line to Foster, gutted out a late bid from pocket foe Im Feeling Spicy (Eric Davis) to prevail by a nose in 1:57 for trainer Herman Hagerman. Really Ritz (Justin Vincent) was third.
Better Gon was the other repeat winner, capturing the first male pacing division — another non-wagering contest — by 4-1/2 lengths over Dapper Time (Justin Walters) in 1:56.2, with Rowdy Dude (William Carter) third. Foster drove the More The Better N-Graygon gelding for trainer Adrian Wisher Jr. and owner Frederick Weitz Jr.
Foster also drove trotting gelding Yall Got No Shot to a 1:56.2 win for owner/trainer Richard Hans in the other non-betting division. The son of Yall Beneath Me-Ginger Hanover was 2-1/2 lengths the best over Flyin Wizard (Corey Braden), who held second over Booger Bear (Jonathan Ahle).
The other winner in the reinsman's stakes grand slam was Betting Gangster S-Gooreatness trotting filly And Just Like That ($3.40), who romped to a 1:55 win by 13-3/4-lengths for trainer Megan Foster and Russell Foster Racing LLC. Penn Tell Her (Frank Milby) was second over Twisted Janet (Corey Braden).
Pacing gelding Fast Willie ($7) recorded a 1:57 score in his split, beating Coach Cooley (Shane Griffith) by 3-1/4 lengths with B Real (Corey Braden) third. Eric Davis drove the son of Quick Pulse Mindale-Wilma Hall for trainer Walter Bozman Jr., who shares ownership with Deborah Bozman.
In the final race, one astute handicapper cashed out for $7,707.90 on a 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5 wager. The 1-5 favourite More Than Ya Know led an 8-1-2-3-5 combination in which the second- through fifth-place finishers all went off at odds of 37-1 or longer. As such, the Jackpot Hi-5 pool will start fresh when racing returns to Rosecroft on Thursday.
Thursday's program features the second preliminary round of the Maryland Sire Stakes for two-year-olds. The first of two non-wagering events will go postward at 6 p.m. (EDT), while the 14-race pari-mutuel program will begin at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Rosecroft Raceway)