Red Mile: Call Me Goo, Sylvia Hanover capture Allerage Farms Mares Opens
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The two Allerage Farms Open Mares contests on Sunday afternoon at The Red Mile were won by trotter Call Me Goo and pacer Sylvia Hanover.
The trotters competed for a purse of $69,500 and Pioneer As (Tony Hall) cut the opening quarter in 27 2/5 before she yielded to sit in the two-hole behind a pocket-pulling Baroness Hill (Todd McCarthy). Call Me Goo (driven by trainer Ake Svanstedt) watched that action from third and then got going first-over before Baroness Hill hit three-quarters in 1:24 3/5.
In the lane Call Me Goo wore down and went by Baroness Hill, but she wasn't home free as Nelsonbriteagle No (Dexter Dunn), who had made a break past the start but caught the field in the backstretch, was closing furiously. Call Me Goo was able to get to the wire first, though, defeating her Svanstedt stablemate by a neck in 1:51 4/5. Baroness Hill wound up third.
Svanstedt also co-owns Call Me Goo, a 4-year-old daughter of Googoo Gaagaa bred by Bib Roberts, with Graham Grace Stables LLC. Call Me Goo has a summary of 22-7-2 from 35 starts, has banked $688,518 and paid $4.34 to win as the second choice.
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Sylvia Hanover (Bob McClure) put in a big mile in the $65,500 pace and took advantage of a race that didn't include Twin B Joe Fresh to prevail in a life's-best 1:47 3/5. Zanatta (Dunn) was the leader at the 26 2/5 quarter, but she gave way to a brushing-from-third Always B Naughty (Yannick Gingras) coming to the 53 4/5 half. McClure then activated Sylvia Hanover first-over out of fourth, and after a brief battle, was able to get around Always B Naughty as they raced to three-quarters in 1:21 1/5.
Through the stretch drive Sylvia Hanover drifted out some, but it was no problem as she was clear to the wire, defeating Always B Naughty by 2 3/4 lengths. Beach Cowgirl (Todd McCarthy) was up for third off dull cover.
A 4-year-old Always B Miki mare bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Sylvia Hanover is trained by Mark Steacy for owners Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. Sylvia Hanover has 20 wins, 10 seconds and a third from 36 appearances, has pocketed $1,743,794 and returned $2.92 to win as the favorite.