from Miami Valley Raceway

Lebanon, OH — Hannelore Hanover and Solar Sister notched Grand Circuit victories on closing day of the 2016 Miami Valley Raceway meet on Sunday (May 8). The pair of $100,000 races were highlights of the 88th and final program of Miami Valley’s third season, its most successful to date with huge increases above 20 percent in both average handle and total purses.

Hannelore Hanover won the $100,000 Miami Valley Distaff in 1:52.3.

Hannelore Hanover kept her 2016 season perfect in her fifth start by wiring a classy field of North America’s best older trotting mares in 1:52.3, a new track record for 4-year-old female squaregaiters. Despite facing a full field with lifetime earnings north of $4 million in the $100,000 Miami Valley Distaff, the winning daughter of Indiana sire Swan For All was dispatched as a prohibitive favorite and driver Ricky Macomber Jr. guided her accordingly.

Speeding off the wings of the starting gate, Hannelore Hanover and Macomber stopped the first-quarter beam in :27.1 and never looked back through subsequent fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.3. At the head of the lane, it looked briefly as if the taxing fractions might doom the Ron Burke trainee’s fate, but when Macomber asked for a bit more Hannelore Hanover responded with a :29 final panel to seal a 1-3/4 length victory. Charmed Life (Jody Jamieson) gave futile chase to finish second, while Daylon Miracle (Daniel Dube) raced gamely to finish just a quarter-length further back in third.

Hannelore Hanover increased her career bankroll to $405,324 with her 14th win in 26 lifetime starts. She is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Frank Baldachino.

Conrad photos

Solar Sister won a tight photo in the $100,000 Chip Noble Memorial.

Solar Sister had to survive a lengthy judge’s inquiry before being named the official upset winner of the $100,000 Chip Noble Memorial for the continent’s top pacing mares. Although it appeared that Solar Sister and driver Doug McNair may have forced at least one other horse wider when they vacated the pylons down the backstretch, the judges ultimately decided that the confusion was caused by a tiring frontrunner (Lady Shadow) who was simultaneously drifting into the outer flow.

The winner left with alacrity to drop in behind Lady Shadow (Aaron Merriman) before the :26.2 quarter, then enjoyed a pocket ride through a :55.2 half before pulling going to the three-quarter station. Solar Sister was first-over in second when the field sped past that 1:22.3 marker, then emerged victorious following a thrilling stretch drive that resulted in a three-horse photo finish in 1:51.2. Favorite Yagonnakissmeornot (Dube), who won the inaugural Noble Memorial in 2014 and still holds the distaff track record, was parked much of the mile and finished just a head behind, with Purrfect Bags (Victor Kirby) third across the wire, just another head behind in her first seasonal start.

Gregg McNair trains the winning 4-year-old daughter of Mach Three for David Willmot and Clay Homer. She now sports 11 career triumphs and $681,387 in earnings.

A pair of $20,000 Opens were also contested on the getaway matinee card.

Il Mago (Trace Tetrick) topped Penn (Josh Sutton) and Cimeronken (Kyle Ater) in the trotting feature, clocked in 1:55.. It was the sixth win in a dozen 2016 starts for the 7-year-old son of Kadabra, who is owned by CC Racing LLC and trained by Tyler George.

Addys Way (Dan Noble) emerged from a stride-for-stride stretch duel with Igottafeelinfran (Kayne Kauffman) to cop the top local pacing mares event in 1:52.1. OK Hallelujah (Jason Brewer) collected the show dough. Perkins Racing Stable LLC owns Addys Way, an 8-year-old Cambest mare, also trained by Noble. She now has an impressive 47 victories from 189 starts and is nearing $400,000 in bank deposits.

Josh Sutton and Jeff Brewer won the dash titles for top driver and top trainer at the 2016 Miami Valley Raceway meet. Sutton won 174 races over the 88-program meet and horses he drove earned $1,380,486. Brewer pupils captured 37 races and his stable earnings amounted to $311,255.