from Miami Valley Raceway

Lebanon, OH — R Gauwitz Hanover, deftly handled by Chris Page, upset a full field of 10 $20,000 claimers to capture the $35,000 final of this division’s Claim To Fame series at Miami Valley on Saturday night (Jan. 27).

Conrad photo

RGauwitz Hanover was the upset winner of the $35,000 Claim To Fame serieschampionship for $20,000 claimers at Miami Valley on Saturday.

Page sat patiently in third position along the pylons (fourth overall) through fractions of :26.3, :56 and 1:24.3 before seizing an opening around the final bend to swing three-wide for the stretch drive.

The 8-1 shot, owned and trained by Clarence Foulk, was much the best in the lane and exploded to a three-length victory in 1:53.1. Favored Dovuto Hanover (Trace Tetrick) finished second with M G Kid (Kayne Kauffman) benefitting from a pocket ride to grab the show dough.

The winner was one of seven of the finalists who had won a race in the eight preliminary heats leading up to the final. The only two-time preliminary winner was Prince Clyde, who finished fourth in the lucrative final for driver Jeremy Smith.

It was the 39th career victory for R Gauwitz Hanover, a 9-year-old gelding sired by Modern Art. The winner’s share of the purse ballooned his lifetime bounty to $395,033.

Page also captured the next race, a co-featured $25,000 Open Handicap Pace clocked in 1:51.1. He guided pole sitter Angelo J Fra directly to the top in :26.2 over the sloppy track. With Feelnlikearockstar (John DeLong) unable to find a seat along the pylons and pressuring gallantly on the outside, the winner tripped the halfway beam in :54.3 and the three-quarter mile marker in 1:22.1.

The 6-year-old The Panderosa gelding managed to tack on a closing :29 quarter to hold runner up My Hero Ron (Tyler Smith) and show finisher Manhattan Beach (Trace Tetrick) at bay.

Kris Hinchcliff trains Angelo J Fra for the Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. It was his 20th triumph in just 86 lifetime starts and raised his earnings to $282,794.

The Sunday (Jan. 28) matinee at Miami Valley will feature a $24,000 Open Handicap Trot as well as the $40,000 championship final of the Claim To Fame series for $30,000 claimers.

Post time is 2:05 p.m.