Aged competitors Enough Talk and Hyperion Hanover were victorious on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack in preparation for next week's lucrative Breeders Crown Finals.
In the $47,893 Breeders Crown elimination for trotters, Enough Talk sizzled in a clocking of 1:51.1, establishing a new track record and tying Mr Muscleman's Canadian record for the fastest older horse.
With Ron Pierce at the reins, the five-year-old son of Enjoy Lavec left from post six, but Digital Image (Rick Zeron) advanced on the outside to take over the lead after being parked out through the :27 opening quarter. Pierce removed from the pocket after the :56.1 half to regain the lead. He kicked away by three lengths to post a 1:23.3 third quarter mark before opening up in the stretch by over five lengths with a :27.3 final quarter effort for the win in 1:51.1.
Digital Image stayed for second and post time favourite Corleone Kosmos (John Campbell) closed for the show spot.
Enough Talk - Breeders Crown elim
"He scored down real hot. He was just laying on me and didn't want to let go. He pulled all the blood out of my arms," Pierce told the Hambletonian Society. "I wound up taking him to the girl [outrider] just to get the blood back in my arms. She settled him down real nice, then he went to the gate and he was all business after that."
The Peter Kleinhans trainee is owned by P Kleinhans Racing Inc. of Flemington, New Jersey and Jerry Silva of Long Beach, New York. The win allowed Enough Talk's connections to choose his post position for the final. The bay gelding has visited the winner's circle 22 times, earning him $658,791 to date.
"I just let Ron Pierce do what ever he thinks is right on the horse, I thought he would be as good as he was last start, which was a great effort," Kleinhans said to the Hambletonian Society. "We put aluminum shoes on him before his last start and I think that bumped him up a couple of extra lengths and just enough to move him up to the head of the class. I hope he stays there!"
In the prep race for the Breeders Crown pacing final, the $47,000 Open Pace, it was longshot Hyperion Hanover (Rick Zeron) who used a pocket trip to score in 1:49.2.
After leading through a :26.2 opening panel, Hyperion Hanover surrendered the lead to Tigerama (Jody Jamieson) through panels of :52.4 and 1:22.1. At the top of the stretch, Hyperion Hanover found room at the rail to pace on by for the win in 1:49.2. Bigtime Ball (Roger Mayotte) powered up late for second and Armbro Dublin (Brian Sears) closed for third.
The five-year-old Camluck gelding is trained by Rob Fellows for the S S G Stables of North Boston, New York. The bay pacer posted a new lifetime mark with the win. He is the winner of 18 races and $455,783 in purses.
The Breeders Crown finals will be contested on Saturday, August 30.
Breeders Crown Final - Open Trot
1. Up Front Ben
2. Knight Of Intrigue
3. Green Day
4. Enough Talk
5. Corleone Kosmos
6. Armbro Continental
7. Digital Image
8. Armbro Chronicle
9. Vivid Photo
10. Arch Madness
Breeders Crown - Open Pace
1. Tigerama
2. Eagle Luck
3. Zooka
4. Western Shore
5. Kenneth J
6. Mister Big
7. Bigtime Ball
8. Artistic Fella
9. Won The West
10. Palone Ranger
To view Saturday's results, click here.