Red Mile: Prince Hal Hanover, Twin B Joe Fresh deliver in Allerage Open Paces

Stalwart pacing vets Prince Hal Hanover and Twin B Joe Fresh clinched victories in their respective Grade 3 Allerage Farms divisions on an increasingly rainy afternoon at The Red Mile on Saturday (Oct. 10).

Prince Hal Hanover pounced from the mud off a pocket ride to clinch a 1:49 victory in the $145,000 Allerage Open Pace, sponsored by Jeff & Paula Gural.

Driver Todd McCarthy fired Prince Hal Hanover for the front out of post six alongside even-money favorite Ken Hanover (driven by Tim Tetrick) and yielded control to that rival moving for a 27 2/5 first quarter. Ken Hanover coasted over the "off" going in the backstretch to light a 53 3/5 half and continued on a full-throttled lead through the turn to three-quarters in 1:20 3/5. Prince Hal Hanover angled from the covered trip to attack the tiring leader in the lane and surged to the top and kept digging to the finish to win by a head as Coaches Corner (Andy McCarthy) rallied from a first-up bid for second. Captain Arturovico (Dexter Dunn) flew from last for third and 70-1 shot Admiral Hill (Joe Bongiorno) came from mid-pack off a pylon trip for fourth.

"He's just a super horse," Todd McCarthy said after the race. "He gives it all he's got and that was just a great performance today on this track. We were following the right one and we had open daylight down the lane. It's tricky conditions today - it's obviously pretty heavy rain and really windy, so it can be tough for a lot of horses to go forward in that. But he’s just so hearty, this guy. He just does it every time. It felt like a pretty long stretch today, but he's all class."

Dr. Ian Moore trains Prince Hal Hanover for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable. The 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous - out of the Shadow Play stakes-winning mare Percy Bluechip - won for the sixth time from 17 starts this season and for the 16th time from 48 starts in his career, amassing $1,780,462 in earnings. He paid $6.26 to win.

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Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn) thrusted from last to first with a charted back-half of 52 seconds to score back-to-back victories in the $67,000 Allerage Mare Pace, winning this edition in 1:49 4/5.

Dunn eased to last in the quintet after Champagne Room (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) bolted for the front to her outside leaving the gate. Champagne Room crossed over to lead through the first turn and pocketed pylon-starter Louies Girl N (Jason Bartlett), but Bartlett swiftly circled Louies Girl N back towards the top nearing a 28 3/5 first quarter. Twin B Joe Fresh remained last in the backstretch as the tempo stayed tepid to a 56 4/5 half, though Dunn initiated a bid at the top of the far turn and rushed forward to press Louies Girl N to three-quarters in 1:24. Louies Girl N caved to the challenge spinning for home and Twin B Joe Fresh motored for the finish to keep her competition behind for a length victory. Champagne Room snatched second from Louies Girl N in third while The Last Martini (Scott Zeron) gave chase in fourth.

"[Chris Ryder] just said to me going onto the track he didn't want too hard of a run for her today," remarked Dunn. "But she's so versatile, so [with] the short field I still had all the faith in her. She was fantastic - that was a huge back half she put up, and just the way she did it and the way she felt was extremely pleasing. That probably was her last Red Mile start. That's a good way for her to leave this fantastic track."

Chris Ryder trains Twin B Joe Fresh and co-owns the 6-year-old Roll With Joe mare, out of Captaintreacherous mare Fresh Breeze, with Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. She has won five races from 12 starts this season and 41 races from 61 starts in her career, accruing $3,279,920 in earnings.

"She does what she does, and she never ceases to amaze us, really," Chris Ryder said. "She showed it today. She's just been wonderful. We're going to race through the Breeders Crown and [FanDuel Championships], and we'll see how it goes. She's done enough; she's done a lot [but] nothing's set in stone."

Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.22 to win.

--press release (Red Mile)--