Monticello: Joyride Hanover topples track record in NYSS win

Joyride Hanover kicked off the New York Sire Stakes events for rookie pacing fillies on Monday afternoon at Monticello Raceway by turning in a track record 1:54 2/5 clocking for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Eddie Dennis, and owner Eric Good. Just Divine and Kele Kele posted victories in the other divisions.

Starting from post two in the $34,200 tilt, Joyride Hanover was sent straight to the front by McCarthy, and she was fired up, stepping off a quick 27 1/5 opening quarter and following that up with a 56 1/5 half and a 1:25 1/5 three-quarters. Coming off the third turn, Joe Bongiorno sent Wine N Dine Me on the attack two-wide out of the fifth position, and she would move up into second past three-quarters and set her sights on Joyride Hanover on the final bend. Joyride Hanover was still clear turning for home, though, and while Wine N Dine Me did make headway in the stretch, Joyride Hanover held sway to tally by a neck. Reenactment (Scott Zeron) came in third.

The time of 1:54 2/5 lowered the track record for the division of 1:55 set by Planet Rock on August 29, 2016, and also eclipsed colt Melodies Major's 1:54 3/5 mark for the quickest mile by a 2-year-old pacer of either sex at Monticello.

Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Joyride Hanover, a daughter of American Ideal, was a $105,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale, and this was her second win from three pari-mutuel tries. Now an earner of $22,750, Joyride Hanover is the first foal out of JK Higher Power (Somebeachsomewhere, $13,700, 1:54), a full sister to Highalator (1:48, $671,474). The 1-5 favorite, Joyride Hanover paid $2.50 to win.

In the next $34,200 split, Miss Major Hunt (Leon Bailey) led early on, but she would be passed by both Nite Time Deal (Matt Kakaley) and A Girl That Twirls (Simon Allard) prior to the 28 2/5 opening quarter. Just Divine (Yannick Gingras) waited for the dust to settle from fourth, then made a first-over move on the second turn that carried her into the top spot beyond the 58 2/5 half. From there, Just Divine carved out three-quarters in 1:27 1/5, stayed in command around the final bend, and paced away in the stretch to score by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:55 3/5. Hamptons Babe (McCarthy) overcame an extended two-wide grind to finish second, and A Girl That Twirls took third.

Ron Burke trains Just Divine, a filly from the first crop of Huntsville, for owners W.J. Donovan, Craig Henderson, Joe Sbrocco, and Purnel & Libby LLC. Just Divine, bred by Steve Jones and acquired for $160,000 at the 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, broke her maiden in her second chance, and she has now pocketed $22,100. Just Divine is the first foal out of the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Divine Caroline (1:49 2/5, $876,840) and returned $2.50 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

The last $34,200 flight saw Twenty Grand (Mark MacDonald) overcome the outside post six to get to the engine heading to the 28 1/5 opening quarter, and she continued to show the way to the half, which went on the board in 58 seconds flat. Prior to that station, Kakaley wheeled out first-over from fifth with Kele Kele, and she made a steady march on the rim that carried her into the lead just after the 1:27 3/5 three-quarters. After Kele Kele took charge, that left Tony Alagna trainees Throw The Dice (Zeron) and American Halo (McCarthy) first-up and second-over, respectively, but neither one of them could catch Kele Kele, as she went on to prevail by a length in 1:56 3/5. Throw The Dice and American Halo followed her under the wire.

Kele Kele is a So Surreal filly trained by John McDermott for co-owner/breeder Peter Kleinhans and co-owners Jonathan Klee Racing, William Garofalo, and Hurrikane Racing LLC. This was her first career victory from three trips behind the gate, and she has now put away $22,532. Kele Kele, who is out of the Western Ideal mare Lightning D Dube ($99,819), is a half-sister to Kid PK (Wearable Art, 1:49 1/5, $414,000) and paid $6.20 to win as the 2-1 second choice.