Harrah's Philadelphia: Layton Hanover, Energetic Hanover collect PaSS victories

Layton Hanover and Energetic Hanover picked up their first career Pennsylvania Sire Stakes wins on Wednesday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia, capturing the two $69,179 flights for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers that took place.

Driven by Matt Kakaley, Layton Hanover went to the lead from post five in the first division and carved out fractions of 27, 55 3/5, and 1:22 2/5. Nautical Hanover (Todd McCarthy) went first-over from third passing the half, but his bid stalled out before three-quarters, and favorite Hammering Hank (Dexter Dunn) had to go three-wide from third-over early on the far turn to get around both Nautical Hanover and a gapping-from-second-over Loukes Perry (David Miller).

In the lane Kakaley asked Layton Hanover to dig in, and he did so, repelling a passing lane attack from pocket-sitter Dancin Sancho (Scott Zeron) to tally by a head in life's-best 1:50 1/5. Hammering Hank did rally but flattened out some in the closing strides and had to settle for third.

A Captaintreacherous gelding bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Layton Hanover is trained by Travis Alexander and is owned by Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC., D'Elegance Stable Ix, T L P Stable, and Carmen Iannacone. This was his third career victory, and he has now earned $110,408. He was the 2-1 second choice and paid $6.80 to win.

In the other section JM's Finaltreasure (Yannick Gingras) was the boss through stations of 27, 55 4/5, and 1:22 4/5, but Atlas Hanover (Dunn) rolled first-over out of third before three-quarters and forged his way into the lead after that marker. Riding Atlas Hanover's cover from second-over was Energetic Hanover (T. McCarthy), and McCarthy would fan him out three-wide on the final bend.

Atlas Hanover maintained the top spot into the stretch, but Energetic Hanover was able to get by him and then to hold off PJ Lou (Andy McCarthy), who got shuffled back in the pocket behind JM's Finaltreasure and then had to wait to angle out, by a quarter of a length in 1:51 1/5, a lifetime-best clocking. Atlas Hanover wound up third.

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Brett Pelling trains Energetic Hanover, a gelded son of Captaintreacherous bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, for owners David McDuffee, Mel Hartman, Steve Arnold, and Paul Bordogna. Unraced at 2, Energetic Hanover has a record of 4-1-2 from nine appearances in 2022 and has pocketed $64,724. He was the 5-2 favorite and returned $7.00 to win.