by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Delaware, OH — The Brian Brown training stable captured both $23,100 divisions of Thursday’s (Sept. 24) Standardbred Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers at his home track, the Delaware County Fairgrounds, with his friendly neighborhood Spider Man Hanover capping the sweep with a world-record 1:51.4 performance.

In the first division, Mr Right Hanover led from start to finish, surviving an inquiry for getting rough gaited in the stretch, to win in 1:53.4.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Spider Man Hanover scored in a world-record time of 1:51.4.

Spider Man Hanover, with David Miller in the sulky, sat in third around the first turn behind More Dragon and Mr D’s Dragon, then slung his way to the front as the field approached the quarter in :28.3. From there, Spider Man Hanover hit the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.2 before shaving three-fifths of a second off the world record for a 2-year-old male pacer on a half-mile track.

The margin of victory was 3-1/4 lengths for Spider Man Hanover, the 1-9 favorite who is stabled regularly at the fairgrounds. More Dragon finished second and Mr D’s Dragon was third.

On Golden Ponder and He’s Watching shared the previous world record of 1:52.2.

Spider Man Hanover, a son of Western Ideal out of the mare Stolly Up Bluechip, is a full brother to Shady Daisy winner Stacia Hanover. He has won four of seven races this year, finished second in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship, and earned $189,300. He is owned by Country Club Acres, Kenneth Vaupel, Mike Mallett, and Milton Leeman.

“This colt gets over the ground so well and has high speed,” said Miller. “He has always been talented but was a little too aggressive. That one race in Pennsylvania he was just bad (eighth in a Sire Stakes race on Aug. 20). I’m not sure why but I got with Brian and we made some equipment changes to give me more control and he has just improved ever since.

“I was a little concerned about putting him on the front but with that first quarter in :28.3 that definitely helped. I just didn’t want to have to come first up with him into a :56 half. Even coming to the three-quarter pole I was still trying to rate him but he was well within himself and very strong.

“The world record is a little bit of a surprise but he is a very nice horse. He just showed today what we have already known.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Mr Right Hanover was a 1:53.4 winner in his Standardbred division.

Dave Palone, harness racing’s winningest driver in history with 17,199 victories, guided 1-5 favorite Mr Right Hanover to the triumph in the opening division. Granite finished second and Gleneagles was fourth-placed-third after Fernando Hanover was dropped a spot for violating the breaking rule. There was only win and place betting in the five-horse race.

Mr Right Hanover led through fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.4. He was challenged by Gleneagles on the backstretch and a three-wide move from Fernando Hanover on the final turn, but marched to victory by a half-length.

A son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the mare Mouse Hanover, Mr Right Hanover has won three of eight races for trainer Brian Brown and earned $41,349. He is owned by James Stambaugh, Wingfield Brothers, Alan Keith, and Milton Leeman.

“He’s really been a good horse all along,” said Brown, “but the problem was he didn’t want to pass horses until we opened up his bridle for the Arden Downs, because in the Sire Stake before that he should have won but just came out and hung there. In his last Sire Stake he was good again but he was locked in and had nowhere to go.

“I did not tell Dave to put him on the front. Actually I warned him about it because yesterday front end speed was not holding up here. But he’s Dave Palone. He’s also driven the horse before and he knew what to do with him.”

The Perfect Lindy wins Standardbred 2-year-old trot

The Perfect Lindy got a perfect gate-to-wire trip from driver David Miller to win Thursday’s $50,000 Standardbred Stakes for 2-year-old male trotters by a half-length over Barryscourt in 1:58.2 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

The Perfect Lindy broke his maiden with a 1:58.2 score in the Standardbred.

Sent off at 28-1, Miller put The Perfect Lindy on top at the start and led the field through fractions of :28.3, :59.2, and 1:28.4. He received a first-over challenge from Barryscourt, who was the 2-1 second choice, but was able to stay in front for the victory. Favorite Waitlifter K was far behind the starting gate at the start and not a factor.

It was The Perfect Lindy’s first win in five career starts and upped his earnings to $27,326. The colt is owned by SRF Stable and trained by Jonas Czernyson.

The Perfect Lindy is a son of stallion Credit Winner out of the mare Highscore Kemp and was purchased as a yearling for $320,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. Highscore Kemp was a world champion and the family also includes 2014 Hambletonian winner Trixton and Dan Patch Award honorees Conway Hall and Andover Hall.

“The front end definitely has been working out for me today,” said Miller. “At least when I can get there and if I have the right fractions like I did again in this race. As long you as can rate your horse the right way it is the spot you want to be in here. It also helped this colt did everything right all the way around the track. You need them to cooperate with you as well.”

— Kimberly French also contributed to this report