Plainville, MA — Delayed Hanover got his second win in his last three starts at Plainridge Park with an easy score in Thursday’s (Aug. 29) $25,000 Open Handicap Trot.
Bruce Ranger got away third with Delayed Hanover as Remember Titans (Kevin Switzer Jr.) led the field through a :26.3 first quarter. But Ranger wanted the front and quickly moved Delayed Hanover to the lead before the half. As the race proceeded up the backstretch, Sidd Finch (Drew Campbell) came first-over to challenge the leader, got to within a length at three-quarters, and then hung close around the last turn. When they entered the stretch, Delayed Hanover swelled up and bolted home in :28 to prevail by three lengths in 1:53.1.
It was the third win of the year — all at Plainridge Park — for Delayed Hanover ($2.60), who is owned by Reid Wissner and trained by Kevin McDermott.
In the $20,000 upper-lever conditioned trot, Golden Kronos (Kevin Switzer Jr.) sat second behind Buddy Earl (Bruce Ranger) through quarters of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24.2 before shaking loose in the lane to beat Buddy Earl at the line by three-quarters of a length in a new seasonal mark of 1:54.
Golden Kronos ($6.60) is owned by Michael Pozefsky and William Pozefsky and is trained by Stanley Zombick Jr.
There was also a $20,000 Mass Grads event for older Massachusetts-bred trotters who competed in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes, and the race turned into a literal sibling rivalry. Raybarnz and trainer-driver Ivan Davies chased down his maternal sister Poppy Wow (Jim Hardy) in the stretch and won by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.4, matching his best seasonal time. Raybarnz ($4.40) is owned by Shirley Michaud.
Davies had a double, both driving and training. Driver Bruce Ranger and trainer Domenico Cecere also teamed up for two winners, with Ranger adding Delayed Hanover later in the card for his hat trick. Kevin Switzer Jr. also had a driving hat trick on Thursday.
Racing at Plainridge Park resumes on Monday (Sept. 2) with a new, earlier post time of 2 p.m., which will be the norm for all race days in September and October.