by Karen Briggs, WEG media department

Campbellville, ON — The field for the C$733,031 Fan Hanover Stakes final on Saturday, June 14, has set up a classic duel between pacing fillies Tug River Princess and A and G’sconfusion.

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Tug River Princess seeks her 14th straight win in the Fan Hanover Final.

Unbeaten Tug River Princess extended her streak to 13 wins last Saturday in her Fan Hanover elimination, winning in a new lifetime clocking of 1:51.1, some 3-1/2 lengths ahead of her nearest rival, Cuz She Can. It was the first appearance on the Mohawk oval for the strapping daughter of Badlands Hanover, who is conditioned by Ross Croghan in the States, and has found a home in the barn of Darren McCall while in Ontario.

As she did last week, Tug River Princess will have veteran John Campbell at the lines when she takes up the inside post position in the final.

A winner of over $800,000 and an O’Brien and Dan Patch Award winner at 2, Mark Capone trainee A and G’sconfusion won her Fan Hanover elimination last weekend in a handy 1:51.2 and looks to be well on her way back to her outstanding freshman form. David Miller gets the drive on the Allamerican Native filly, who’ll be leaving right next to Tug River Princess in post two.

It would be a mistake to discount the third elimination winner, Has An Attitude, who beat the highly regarded Chancey Lady and Up Front Bethann last week in a new lifetime mark of 1:52. Trained by Erv Miller, Has An Attitude made a tidy sweep of the Ontario Sired Spring Series in May, and though she lacks the mileage of her two main rivals, she has definitely demonstrated a winning attitude so far, with victories in nine starts.

McCall says there is another side to the speedy Tug River Princess: “She trains like a $4,500 claimer,” he says. “You have to practically beat her to get her out of a walk. Then after she jogs she sleeps the rest of the day. I’m glad I had some warning about her being so relaxed, otherwise I’d have been horrified.

“She definitely knows when it’s post time, though. I couldn’t have been more surprised when I qualified her. When you pull her out of a hole, she takes off.

“I wish I had more like her.”

McCall expects that if anyone can snap Tug River Princess’ perfect record, it will be A and G’sconfusion.

“But you know who impressed me last week, was (20-1 shot) Cruzin Inya Jammys,” he says. “She’s the sleeper in the field.”

The Fan Hanover Stakes is race five on North America Cup night. Post time is 8:41 p.m.