Dover: R Melina, Maxim Hanover prevail in Matron Stakes

R Melina and Maxim Hanover came out on top in Matron Stakes action for 2-year-old filly trotters and male pacers, respectively, on Thursday at Bally's Dover.

The filly trotters raced for a purse of $138,000, and R Melina (Tim Tetrick) left from post five and advanced two-wide to take over the lead from French Champagne (Ake Svanstedt) past the 28 1/5 opening quarter. From there, R Melina kept command through a 58 4/5 half and a 1:27 2/5 three-quarters, then slammed the door on her foes with a 28 2/5 final kicker, winning by a length and three-quarters in 1:55 4/5. Upallnight Hanover (Scott Zeron) and French Champagne, both trained by Svanstedt, were second and third. Mimi (Brian Sears) and Meetmeatthebar (Dan Dube) completed the top five.

A daughter of Chapter Seven bred by Marsh Valley Standardbreds, R Melina is trained by John Butenschoen for owners M & L of Delaware LLC. and Alabama Harness Associates. She has a record of 6-1-1 from ten starts, has earned $315,613 and paid $3.60 to win as the favorite.

Dublin Dasher (Simon Allard) hustled to the front in a 26 4/5 quarter in the $145,000 colt and gelding pace, but he was overtaken by Noblesville (Tetrick) beyond that marker and then Noblesville yielded to sit in the two-hole behind Wish You Well (David Miller) nearing the 54 4/5 half. Magnifico Hanover (Sears) took up the chase from first-over out of fourth coming to the half, tracked in the outer tier by Booming Economy (Yannick Gingras) and Maxim Hanover (Andy McCarthy).

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Wish You Well held firm on the point to the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters and around the final bend, but Gingras sent Booming Economy three-wide on the turn, and Maxim Hanover made the same move before he fanned out widest for the drive. Booming Economy surged into the lead in the upper part of the stretch and set sail for the wire, but Maxim Hanover had fresh legs and a better kick late, getting up for the victory by a neck in 1:52. Magnifico Hanover held third from Noblesville, while Wish You Well faded to fifth.

Trained by Robert Cleary, Maxim Hanover, a Captaintreacherous colt bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, won for the third time and has now banked $128,640 and returned $18.60 to win as an 8-1 offering.

There were also Matron Stakes scheduled for rookie trotting males and pacing fillies, but those events did not fill when the box closed on Monday and therefore were not held.