Hanover Raceway hosted a leg of the Prospect Series for two-year-old trotters on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 7 with driver Bruce Richardson sweeping the filly divisions with first-time winners Vowel For Vanna and Silver Manalishi.
Vowel For Vanna ($3.90; pictured above) had just one rival to contend with as the others made breaks throughout the mile and she was a dominant 3-1/2-length winner in 2:04.4 for John Holding, who trains and co-owns the Resolve filly with Morley Bosomworth. A seven-time starter, Vowel For Vanna has earned a pair of top two finishes since dropping from the Grassroots Series to the Prospect level when she joined the Holding stable late last month.
Making her eighth career start, Silver Manalishi ($9.40) prevailed from the pocket in a 2:06 mile by a neck over rival Talbot Ehbeesea with those two fillies the only ones left trotting in a race of their own turning for home. After starting her season in the Gold and Grassroots Series, Silver Manalishi followed up a third-place finish in their first Prospect match-up last week at Grand River Raceway. Rene Dion trains the homebred roan daughter of Green Manalishi S for Silver Stables.
A pair of divisions for the colts and geldings also went to first-time winners, with the front-striding Mendieta ($23.20) taking the fastest split in 2:04 by half a length in a four-across finish in his Canadian debut for new connections, including trainer/driver Jason Ryan and owners William Beacham and Gavin Christie. The Green Manalishi S colt broke his maiden in his fifth attempt.
In the other colt and gelding division, Gin Master ($8.50) circled a field of five, picking up the pieces off cover when the top two broke stride turning for home to win in 2:06 with Samuel Fillion aboard. Trained and co-owned by Marcel Barrieau, the lightly raced Wheeling N Dealin gelding earned his first victory following a third-place finish in his career debut last week in the Prospect Series at Grand River. Barrieau shares ownership of Gin Master with Gestion Mastel Inc., Courtney Gallant and Nicole MacPherson.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)