Bangor, ME — With all the finesse of his soccer-phenom namesake, Adriano Hanover prowled the pitch at Bangor Raceway on Sunday (July 9), thrilling the fans with an overpowering display as the 6-year-old son of Western Ideal took top flight competition to task in the $6,500 winners over division, the weekly feature class at historic Bass Park, with Kevin Switzer Jr. manning the sulky for owner/trainer Gerald MacKenzie Jr.

Adriano Hanover stopped the clock in a torrid 1:53.3. Thomas Smith photo.

Dissuaded from the early lead by an insistent Bush Man N (Bruce Ranger), Switzer reined his charge into a strategic pocket trip, drafting behind the top-placed pacer through opening panels of :27.3 and :57.2.

Rather than being lulled by a dull second quarter, Switzer pounced with catlike reflexes, and began pressing the issue as the tempo noticeably quickened. Overtaking his nemesis with a powerful brush, Adriano Hanover was brave on the lead, generating a back-half recorded in a brisk :56.1, stopping the clock in a torrid 1:53.3, resulting in the second fastest mile recorded this season at Bangor Raceway. Bush Man N held steady for runner-up honors while Call Me Maverick (Michael Stevenson) secured the show dough.

Sent to the gate as the reasonably backed 2-1 second choice, Adriano Hanover returned $6.40 to win and keyed respectable $57 exacta and $250 trifecta returns while recording his sixth win of the 2023 season.

In other Bangor news, the Deslandes clan capped off an astounding week of equine excellence on Sunday as driver Dan Deslandes and trainer Jeff Deslandes sent four more winners to the post.

Wynnfrith (2:00-$3.00), Ten Beaches Later (1:57DH-$9.20), Safety Second (1:57.2-$5.60), and Pink Delight (1:57.2-$5.60) all joined the winners ranks on Sunday, propelling Dan Deslandes into a first place tie with Bruce Ranger atop the leaderboard with 31 seasonal wins apiece.

The Jeff Deslandes roster is continuing to demonstrate Bass Park mastery, extending its season-long dominance by registering their 31st score of the year, tallying 18 wins more than their closest rival.

In non-Deslandes news, Heath Campbell and Nick Graffam each secured driving doubles on Sunday while trainer Valerie Grondin also sent two winners to the gate.

Maine Sire Stakes action returns to Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (July 12) with two $15,142 splits of sophomore pacing colts going postward as non-wagering events beginning at 2 p.m. (EDT) before the 10-race pari-mutuel program commences at 3 p.m.

Bangor Raceway proudly presents live harness racing every Wednesday at 3 p.m. (EDT) while the Friday and popular Sunday matinees get underway at 12:15 p.m.