by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Elimination winners Tailgunner Hanover (Ray Schnittker) and Do Over Hanover (Jason Bartlett) drew post position Nos. three and eight, respectively, for Saturday night’s (July 18) $107,500 final of Yonkers Raceway’s Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace.

Yonkers’ premier event for open 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings honors the man who made Hanover Shoe Farms North America’s leading Standardbred breeding operation. Fittingly, both elimination winners are Hanover-breds.

Tailgunner Hanover, a $50,000 Well Said colt co-owned with Joe Sbrocco, Frank Baldassare and Howard Taylor by his trainer/driver, has won two of three career starts. He romped a week ago, never giving any of his rivals a shot in a 6-1/4 length victory.

His life-best 1:56.1 effort was the exact same time as Do Over Hanover’s maiden-breaking, 3-3/4 length win in the earlier elimination. The $25,000 Western Ideal colt is trained by Jim Campbell for co-owners Jeffrey and Michael Snyder and Robert Unice.

The Sheppard, carded as the fifth of a dozen Saturday races (approximate post time 8:30 p.m.), drew out as such: 1-Autotone Hanover (Tyler Buter), 2-War-N-Munn (Dan Dube), 3-Tailgunner Hanover (Ray Schnittker), 4-Artmagic (Mark MacDonald), 5-Rodeo Rock (Dube also listed), 6-Endeavor (Pat Lachance), 7-Gleneagles (George Brennan), and 8-Do Over Hanover (Jason Bartlett).

The Raceway’s live season continues Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 p.m.). Evening simulcasting accompanies all night programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.