Lexington, KY – Lucas Wallin trainee Delaney Hanover pushed through a gap at the pylons off a pocket trip to outsprint first-over 1-5 favorite Yo Tillie and handed her the first defeat of her season in a 1:50.2 mile to win the last of four divisions for the $294,200 Bluegrass 3-Year-Old Filly Trot – a division sponsored by Marvin Katz – on Saturday (Sept. 27) at The Red Mile.
Driver Scott Zeron put Delaney Hanover on top before settling for a pocket ride once Global Heritage (driven by Dexter Dunn) approached outside into a :28 first quarter. Global Heritage led up the backstretch to a :55.2 half, where Yo Tillie (Todd McCarthy) pulled outside from fourth to start her grind towards the front. Yo Tillie gained on the rim to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and drew to equal terms with Global Heritage rounding the bottom corner. Delaney Hanover gathered speed at the inside as Global Heritage drifted in the stretch and dashed forward to take the lead from Yo Tillie in the final eighth. She kept Yo Tillie at bay to the beam to win by a length while Winnpanzee (Yannick Gingras) saved ground for third and My Honor (Ake Svanstedt) closed from third over for fourth.
“We’ve always been very high on her and she’s just been feeling better and better,” Lucas Wallin said after the race. “We have patient owners and we kind of aimed for this meet. Later on, hopefully it pays off. Scotty gave her a perfect trip again, and when she can follow a horse there are not too many that can stop her in the last eighth. But Yo Tillie’s a fantastic horse. She did it pretty good.”
Delaney Hanover, a Muscle Hill-Danielle Hanover filly, won her third race from eight starts this season and her fifth race from 15 starts in her career, earning $361,585 for owners Wiesman Farms LLC, Shermay Stables and Wallin Racing Stable Inc. Off the second choice, she paid $10.40 to win.
Ms Prada (Yannick Gingras) surged as tempo-setter Champagne Problems (Dexter Dunn) drifted off the pylons in a sprint to the finish and nailed the 1-5 chalk at the end of a 1:51.1 mile to begin a day of upsets in the first Bluegrass filly trot division, sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds.
Gingras motored Ms Prada out of post 7 to the top, but settled for a pocket trip as Dunn eased Champagne Problems out of the pocket and towards the lead through a :28 first quarter. Champagne Problems rolled unfettered to a :55.4 half and continued through the last turn under minimal pressure. Past three-quarters in 1:24.2, Champagne Problems accelerated for home and floated off the cones when hitting her best stride, giving Gingras an opening. Ms Prada built speed and fired straight to collar Champagne Problems at the beam by three-quarter lengths. Caviart Ivy (Niko Karna) gave chase off a ground-saving trip in third and Best Friends Girl (David Miller) followed in fourth.
“She was a good horse all along,” said co-owner Jerry Silva. “Yannick gave her a great drive today. There were a couple of breakers at the beginning, which made it easier. And [we had the] two-hole, you either are going to win it or lose it, and we won it.”
Silva shares ownership of Ms Prada, a Greenshoe-Asiago filly, through J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and alongside partners Burke Racing Stable, Beasty LLC and Joe Di Scala Jr. Ron Burke trains the filly, a now six-time winner from 15 starts this season and a seven-time winner from 27 starts in her career. She has earned $283,984 and – off as the third longest shot in the betting – paid $38.92 to win.
Kadena (Andy McCarthy) later upset as the fourth longest shot on the board with a pylon-skimming rally for a 1:51 win in the second Bluegrass filly trot division, sponsored by Marvin Katz.
McCarthy landed Kadena into fourth as Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy) pushed for the lead into a :27.4 first quarter. Aperfect Annie strolled unchallenged to a :55.1 half and endured first-over pressure once Deja Blu (Yannick Gingras) angled out of third and advanced through the far turn. Deja Blu powered by Aperfect Annie after three-quarters in 1:23.1 and trotted strongly for home while Kadena gathered steam through a gap at the inside. Kadena stormed forward and snatched the lead from Deja Blu in the final strides to clinch a half-length win while Misspanzee (Andy Miller) closed from third over for third and Aperfect Annie settled for fourth.
Marcus Melander trains Kadena, a daughter of Gimpanzee out of world champion and Red Mile track-record holder Mission Brief, for owners Jeff Snyder and S R F Stable. The filly won her fourth race from 10 starts this season and her sixth race from 18 starts in her career, good for $209,917. She paid $25.66 to win.
Grand Reserve (Andy Miller) rushed from near last and snagged a narrow win at odds of 31-1 in the third Bluegrass filly trot division, sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds.
Country Victory (Tim Tetrick) swept by 2-1 favorite Divine Thing (Todd McCarthy) to take the lead after a :27.4 first quarter and cruised unfettered up the backstretch to a :55.1 half. Miss Belmar (Andy McCarthy) began a first-over bid out of fifth into the far turn, at which point Miller secured a seat third over with Grand Reserve. Divine Thing promptly pulled pocket as Miss Belmar advanced to engage with Country Victory at three-quarters in 1:23.4, but the front cratered in the stretch. Dreams Come Easy (Yannick Gingras) fanned from third over to the center of the track with Grand Reserve rolling to her outside, and the two swooped over the top in the final sixteenth. Grand Reserve kept clawing on the outside and caught Dreams Come Easy at the line by a nose while Margareta Hanover (Dexter Dunn) charged through a seam at the pylons for third and Miss Belmar levelled off in fourth.
“[Carter Pinske] decided to pull the shoes and put some cheek pieces on her and said ‘Any checks a good check from out here,’” Andy Miller said after the race. “He thought she’d be pretty good. I was liking where I was at around the last turn, and when we came off the turn and started to move her over she started taking off.”
Carter Pinske trains Grand Reserve, a Walner-Bella Glos filly, for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. The filly won her second race from 14 starts this season and her third race from 19 starts in her career, earning $102,811. Off as the second longest shot in the betting, she paid $64.78 to win.