Wilkes-Barre, PA — In the first 60 starts of his career, Allywag Hanover has only ventured to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on three occasions — for a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event in 2020 and for the Always B Miki Invitational on the Sun Stakes programs of 2021 and 2022, winning all of them. On Saturday (Aug. 19), in his 61st start, Allywag Hanover made yet another triumphant trip into the mountains, winning his third consecutive edition of the Always B Miki, outpacing South Beach Star for a 1:48.4 score in the $100,000 pacing event.

Allywag Hanover and driver Todd McCarthy, widest of three early leavers, circled South Beach Star (driven by Brian Sears) on the first turn before pressing into Tattoo Artist (Tim Tetrick) through a :26.3 quarter and subsequently clearing for control just after straightening off the far turn. Once he cleared down to the pegs, Allywag Hanover was never in doubt, throwing down fractions of :54 and 1:20.4 before shaking free of his six rivals at head-stretch. The 6-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding sprinted 2-1/2 lengths clear under mild urging to defeat the rallying tandem of South Beach Star and Stonebridge Helios (Dexter Dunn), who were second and third, respectively.

Allywag Hanover captured his third victories in as many appearances in Pocono’s Always B Miki Invitational Pace. Curtis Salonick photo.

“He’s always been a horse that takes a handful of starts to come back into form, but he’s certainly back to his best at the moment,” McCarthy said of Allywag Hanover, who failed to finish better than fourth in his first five stats of the season before reeling off wins in the Sam McKee Memorial and the Always B Miki.

And while the journey was admittedly tougher than the pocket ride Allywag Hanover secured behind hot fractions in the McKee, McCarthy was pleased with how his charge responded to early exertion:

“It was a pretty tough win for him, working around to the front. He’s a horse who likes to do it all the way, but that was pretty brave the way he did it today. He was covering the ground pretty well down the backstretch, and I was happy to let him try to get a head start on the other ones.”

Brett Pelling trains Allywag Hanover, whose 26th career win lifted his bankroll to $1,822,292, for the Allywag Stable.