Meadowlands: Fire Start Hanover rules in Kindergarten Classic final

Fire Start Hanover, the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Pace champion, added another stakes title to her haul in 2020 by taking Saturday night's $151,030 Kindergarten Classic Series final at the Meadowlands in 1:51 1/5.

Driven by Dexter Dunn, Fire Start Hanover was fourth at the 26 3/5 opening quarter, then ranged up on the outside to take the lead away from Classicist (David Miller) beyond the 55 2/5 half. Fire Start Hanover then came under immediate pressure from Off The Record (Corey Callahan), but Fire Start Hanover was able to resist her bid to the 1:24 three-quarters and through the lane.

In the stretch Fire Start Hanover eased away from the competition, and she would go on to win by a length and a quarter. Off The Record was a good second, followed by Classicist, High Minded (Scott Zeron), and Three Way Split (Tim Tetrick).

"She settled in there for a little bit. The first quarter was pretty sharp, a few from the outside left hard," said Dunn. "We had some company starting to come, so we made our move. We had to work a little bit going past the half, but around the last turn I had a handful of her.

"She finished the mile with the earplugs still in, and the whip was never turned. She's strong. She can do that work and finish the mile off great."

The victorious daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is trained by Nifty Norman for owners Pinske Stables, David Hoese, and Lawrence Means. She now has a record of 8-2-0 from 12 appearances, and she pushed her earnings to $593,101. Fire Start Hanover, who is out of the Art Major mare Fit To Frame (1:53 1/5, $16,134), was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. and was a $105,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale. Fit To Frame is a three-quarter sister to the Artsplace mare Glowing Report (1:49 2/5, $2,078,249). The 1-5 favorite, Fire Start Hanover returned $2.40 to win.