Wilkes Barre, PA — Imagine a 1:47.2 mile with a :29 second quarter. That’s a hard concept.

Allywag Hanover scored a world-record victory in the Always B Miki Invitational Saturday at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Curtis Salonick Photo.

But it’s just what the Captaintreacherous four-year-old gelding Allywag Hanover accomplished as he upset favorite Nicholas Beach in the $75,000 Always B Miki Invitational Pace, the cardcapper on Sun Stakes Saturday (Aug. 21) at Pocono.

“I was a bit surprised how fast we went to the quarter,” said Todd McCarthy, referring to the :25.3 opening split. Todd knew what to do after that: back the second quarter down to that :29 clocking, reaching the half in :54.3, send the razor-sharp Allywag through a 26 backstretch sprint (1:20.3), then keep him strong through the :26.4 kicker to defeat the hard-trying Nicholas Beach by 1-1/2 lengths and equal the track and world record set by Always At My Place six years minus one day ago. “He felt very comfortable getting over the track,” finished McCarthy, who finished his day with four victories, including three of the six featured events, and horses earning $356,250 under his guidance.

Allywag Hanover is trained by Brett Pelling for the Allywag Stable, for whom the horse has amassed $331,450 this year and $585,438 lifetime.