Charlene Polk

Dover, DE — The connections of 2-year-old McMurray Hanover are hoping he gets their holiday season off to a merry start this weekend at Dover Downs.

McMurray Hanover starts from post three in Sunday’s (Dec. 6) $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. While morning line odds of 8-1 make him something of a long shot in the final DSBF event of the year, the chestnut gelding comes into the race on an impressive three-race win streak.

“He’s the whole package right now,” trainer Eddie Dennis said.

Since coming to Dover, the gelded son of Badlands Hanover-Mud Hen (Call For Rain) has continued the success he started in his last race at Harrington Raceway, a $20,000 DSBF Consolation. Although he hadn’t performed quite well enough to make the DSBF $100,000 final at the Delaware half-mile, Dennis said the colt came into his true form just in time to win the consolation in 1:57.3.

Fotowon photo

McMurray Hanover was a half-length winner over Lucky Power in their DSBF elimination on Nov. 29.

“The first couple starts (at Harrington) he didn’t fare as well as I thought he should have,” Dennis said. “Harrington has tight turns and I don’t think he got the chance to really pace around them.”

Since then he has not looked back, winning first a qualifier at Dover and then both of his DSBF eliminations, the first in 1:54.3 after a quick :26.4 opening quarter and the second in a more evenly rated 1:56.

While both of his elimination wins came on the front end, Dennis says the colt is just as capable of racing from behind.

“He’s a little better from behind,” he said. “He’s more of a long distance horse. He likes a target to shoot at. On the front end he gets almost too relaxed.”

Dennis, who currently trains a stable of nine on the Delaware circuit, said that McMurray Hanover is just as manageable in the barn as he is on the track.

“He’s a good horse to be around,” he said. “He’s got a great personality, he’s very smart.”

Dennis trains McMurray Hanover for Ontario residents Brian and Stephanie Cassell, who purchased him for just $8,000 at the New Jersey Classic Yearling Sale in September 2008. Dennis, who was sent the colt in September, credits Canadian trainer Robert Robinson with getting McMurray Hanover off to a good start.

“He brought him along just right,” Dennis said.

In Sunday night’s final McMurray Hanover will face staunch competition in 4-5 favorite Delmarvalous, a George Teague trainee who has seven wins and two seconds from 10 starts this year. McMurray Hanover, however, does have a position advantage over Delmarvalous, who will start from post eight.

“He (McMurray Hanover) is pretty sharp right now,” Dennis said. “It’s going to depend on the trip he gets. It should be an interesting race.”

$100,000 DSBF 2-year-old colt/gelding pace final
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Amazing Quest-Brad Hanners-Freida Ivory-6-1
2-Lucky Power-Ron Pierce-Robert Shahan-10-1
3-McMurray Hanover-David Miller-Eddie Dennis-8-1
4-Gonwithurbadself-Robert Shahan-Robert Shahan-10-1
5-Scout Hanover-Ben Stafford, Jr.-Ben Stafford-10-1
6-Enee Weenie And Me-Jim King, Jr.-Jim King, Jr.-12-1
7-Golden Gladiator-Anthony Morgan-W. Bart Dalious-5-1
8-Delmarvalous-Corey Callahan-George Teague, Jr.-4-5