Meadowlands: Father Patrick's youngsters debut impressively, speed galore on undercard
The New Jersey Sire Stakes season for 2-year-olds kicked off on Friday at the Meadowlands with offspring of Father Patrick winning all four trotting contests, and the duo of driver Dan Dube and trainer John McDermott Jr. sweeping the paces.
2-5 choice Greenshoe (Brian Sears), coming in off two winning qualifiers, had a horrible beginning, breaking stride and spotting the field several lengths, but a wonderful ending as he settled, caught the field, brushed by his foes on the far turn and went on to win the first $20,000 colt trot test in 1:56 2/5 over a closing Lucius Vorenus (David Miller). Sheena's Boy (Ake Svanstedt) took third.
Trained by Marcus Melander and owned by Courant Inc., Greenshoe was a $330,000 buy at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Bred by Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz, he is out of the Donato Hanover mare Designed To Be (1:51 3/5, $656,166) and is her first foal. He paid $2.80 to win.
Hudson River (Yannick Gingras) was the public choice in the other colt trot off a second (to Greenshoe) and a win in his two baby races, and he didn't disappoint. He moved into the lead around Battenberg (D. Miller) past the 58 4/5 half, and after a 1:27 3/5 three-quarters, he used a 27 4/5 final kicker to defeat Battenberg by half a length. Trix And Stones (Scott Zeron) finished third.
Jimmy Takter trains Hudson River for Christina Takter and breeder Goran Falk. Hudson River is the fifth foal out of the Viking Kronos mare Lantern Kronos (1:52 3/5, $1,009,175), making him a half-brother to the exported The Bank (Donato Hanover, 1:50 4/5, $1,110,300). He returned $3.40 to win.
On the filly trot side, Special Honor (Andy Miller) won their first $20,000 section in 1:57 1/5. Entering off wins in her baby races at Gaitway Farms and the Meadowlands, she popped the pocket to take the lead away from Given (Gingras) beyond the 29 4/5 first quarter, and after middle-half fractions of 59 4/5 and 1:29 1/5, Special Honor scooted away in the stretch, defeating a rallying Starita (D. Miller) by 3 1/2 lengths. Devilish Delight (Andrew McCarthy) collected third.
Special Honor is a homebred competing for Brittany Farms LLC., Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld. She is the second foal out of the Donato Hanover mare Honor Thy Daughter (1:56 4/5, $57,164), a full sister to Honor And Serve (1:53 1/5, $413,015). Dispatched at 3-5, she paid $3.40 to win.
Whispering Oaks (Gingras) bagged the other contest for filly trotters in 1:55 4/5. She brushed to the top past the 29 2/5 opening quarter, then yielded to favored French Cafe (A. Miller) passing the 58 4/5 half. French Cafe fought off a stern first-up challenge from Taja Mahala (Brett Miller) to the 1:27 4/5 three-quarters, but Whispering Oaks came to the outside in the lane and went by in the last stride, beating French Cafe by a nose. Atonement (McCarthy) came on for third.
Another Takter trainee, Whispering Oaks is owned by Brixton Medical Inc., Herb Liverman, and R A W Equine Inc. The Katz, Libfeld, and Goldband bred fetched $100,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is the first foal out of Vintage Oaks (Muscles Yankee, 1:55 4/5, $64,176), a three-quarter sister to O Narutac Perfetto (Deweycheatumnhowe, 1:52 3/5, $292,122). Whispering Oaks, the 3-2 second choice, returned $5.00 to win.
The colt pace was contested as a non-wagering event, and it would be Hurrikane Emperor and Dube leading through stations of 28 1/5, 57 2/5, and 1:25 2/5 on his way to a 1:53 1/5 victory. Despite a bobble past three-quarters, Hurrikane Emperor defeated Clintock (Jonathan Roberts) by 6 1/2 lengths, with Black Dan (Mike Cole) well back in third after going off-stride past the opening quarter.
McDermott Jr. trains Hurrikane Emperor, a Hurrikane Kingcole colt, for owners/breeders Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing LLC., and Pegasis Investment Group. He is the second foal out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Hurrikane Schmumma (1:56 3/5, $26,549) and his full sister Hurrikane Empress won last year's New Jersey Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.
Dube and McDermott completed the pace double with Hurrikane Lori Ann on the pari-mutuel card. She inherited the lead when even-money favorite Mollydooker (B. Miller) broke a hobble hanger past the 29 second first quarter, then put a 59 1/5 half and a 1:29 2/5 three-quarters on the board. Hurrikanesky (Tim Tetrick) took a shot from the pocket in the lane, but Hurrikane Lori Ann held sway, winning by a length in 1:56 4/5. Love Love Me Too (Chris Ryder) came in third.
Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing LLC., Pegasis Investment Group, and George Vierno own the winning daughter of Lis Mara. Bred by Our Horse Cents Stables, Hurrikane Lori Ann fetched $3,700 at Ohio's Blooded Horse Sale. She's the fifth foal out of the Western Hanover mare Luxury Goods (1:58, $1,875), a half-sister to Bigtown Hero (American Ideal, 1:47 3/5, $478,697). She was the 6-5 second choice and paid $4.60 to win.
Hannelore Hanover wins; Muscle Diamond, American History turn in big miles
Lisa PhotoHannelore Hanover remained perfect in 2018
Hannelore Hanover, the 2017 Horse of the Year, came back to her favorite track and was an easy 2 3/4 length winner of the undercard feature, the $20,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters.
The 6-year-old daughter of Swan For All used a quick burst of speed to clear the top before the half and had little trouble from there, stopping the clock in 1:50 3/5, which equaled the fastest trotting mile of the year in the sport. Pinkman was second with Celebrity Ruth third.
Hannelore Hanover, who returned $2.40 as the 1-5 public choice, was driven by Yannick Gingras and is trained by Ron Burke. She now has 41 wins from 63 lifetime starts and earnings just shy of $2.7 million.
Less than an hour later, Muscle Diamond, driven by Andy McCarthy and trained by Brett Bittle, established a new season’s best on the trot of 1:50 1/5 while winning a conditioned event.
The 6-year-old son of Muscle Hill ($4.80 to win as the 7-5 favorite) was on the point at the half, shrugged off bitter pressure from longshot Celebrity Express heading to three-quarters, and hit the wire 1 1/4 lengths clear of Hambletonian-eligible You Know You Do. He now has 13 wins in 44 career starts and earnings of just under $700,000.
The fireworks show was still going strong in the 12th-race finale, as the Tony Alagna-trained American History prepped for next week’s Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Eliminations with a season's-fastest 1:47 win in a conditioned pace. The victory was Gingras’ fifth of the night.
The 3-year-old son of American Ideal sat off torrid early fractions of 26 3/5 and 53, which were set by All It Takes. After Hayden Hanover popped the pocket at three-quarters (1:20 1/5) and came after the leader, right behind him was American History, who got up in deep stretch to record a neck victory, and in the process, lowered his previous lifetime best by 2 1/5 seconds. As the 4-5 favorite, he returned $3.60 to win in taking his fifth lifetime victory in 10 starts.
--undercard story courtesy of the Meadowlands--