Meadowlands: Red-hot Elista Hanover streaks into Hambletonian Oaks

Elista Hanover maintained her standing as the early favorite for the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks on Aug. 3 with another powerhouse performance Saturday night at the Meadowlands, taking the first of three $30,800 divisions of the Tompkins-Geers Stake for 3-year-old trotting fillies.

After finishing third in her seasonal debut, which was at The Big M on March 22, the daughter of International Moni-Evermore has reeled off nine straight victories. On June 29, she won a division of the Reynolds at The Big M in a lifetime-best-equaling 1:52 3/5. The Annie Stoebe trainee has come back huge as a sophomore after a 2023 that saw her win just once from nine tries.

On Saturday, driver Dave Miller had Elista Hanover sitting fourth to the half before marching up towards leader St Pauli Girl at the five-eighths while first-over. 'Elista' still had two lengths to make up while third at three-quarters, which St Pauli Girl reached in 1:26 1/5, then seized the top at the head of the stretch before powering clear of her foes by 5 3/4 lengths at the wire in 1:53 1/5. Miss I La finished second with Kinesiology third.

"Elista never ceases to amaze me," said Stoebe. "She is possibly the happiest horse I have ever trained. She does have more starts coming in than I would prefer, but quoting Dave [Miller] 'she just keeps getting stronger.' I couldn't be more excited to go into the Oaks next week, especially with the confidence both Elista and Dave have."

As the 1-5 favorite, Elista Hanover returned $2.40 to win while lifting her lifetime earnings to just over $190,000.

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In the second T-G split for females, Honey's Sweet rolled in 1:52 1/5 after making the lead before the half as the 3-5 favorite for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Tony Alagna. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Corazon Blue Chip hit the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front of runner-up Sambuca Hanover to earn her sixth career victory from 16 tries to go with earnings of just over $190,000.

The third division was taken by Upallnight Hanover for Dexter Dunn and Ake Svanstedt in a lifetime-best 1:53 1/5. The daughter of Bar Hopping-Upfront Ob's Janet raced in the four-hole to the half, went first-over heading to three-quarters while providing a live tow for even-money favorite Spy Coast but dug in to hold off that foe by a half-length at the finish as the 2-1 second choice, returning $6.40 to her backers. She’s now four-for-13 lifetime, good for earnings of just over $147,000.

The lone $76,700 T-G dash for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot went to the Andy Miller-driven, Julie Miller-trained Secret Agent Man. Two weeks after a sparkling 1:50 3/5 front-end score, the gelded son of Chapter Seven-Feel The Magic won from off-the-pace after 6-5 favorite Bella’s Musclehill went off-stride while on the lead at the top of the stretch.

Secret Agent Man was one length better than French Kronos at the finish, which was timed in 1:52. He paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 second choice for his third lifetime win in nine tries.

A LITTLE MORE: Driver Carter Dalgety, a 21-year-old native of New Zealand who will be trying to make a go of it in North America for the next two months, scored his first Meadowlands win in his second try, winning the third race with Stonebridge Reef. The Chris Ryder trainee scored as the 9-2 third choice in a lifetime-best 1:48 4/5. Gingras led the driver colony with three Saturday scores. All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $2,669,701. Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m., the first of the final four programs of the Championship Meet.

--press release (Meadowlands)--