Woodbine Mohawk Park: Hanover sweeps She's A Great Lady elims with Ideation, Tall Drink

Rookie pacing fillies rumbled in two C$35,000 She's A Great Lady eliminations on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and in contrast to the Metro elims for the 2-year-old boys where both favorites won, there were a pair of upsets in these contests.

Ideation Hanover (Jody Jamieson) bagged the first elimination in a career-best 1:51 2/5 at odds of 10-1. She blasted to the lead in a 27 2/5 opening quarter, released favored Treacherous Reign (Andrew McCarthy) to sit in the pocket at the 56-second half and the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters, then slipped up the inside in the lane to win by a length. Sylph Hanover (Matt Kakaley) was second after a first-up trip, and Queen Of The Pride (David Miller) followed Ideation Hanover up the cones to get third. Treacherous Reign faded to fourth, and St Somewhere (Yannick Gingras) got fifth.

“This filly comes from a great pedigree. […] People got off the bandwagon for Bettor's Delight," offered winning trainer Dave Menary. "I was happy to bring her home for 50 (thousand).”

Menary trains Ideation Hanover for owners Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero, and Alan Alber. She has a record of 3-3-2 from eight efforts, and she has now earned C$151,617. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, she is out of the Western Ideal mare Ideal Weather (1:49 3/5, $850,128), making Ideation Hanover a half-sister to the likes of Idealbeach Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere, 1:51, $223,705). She paid $22.00 to win.

The other elimination went to 4-1 third choice Tall Drink Hanover (McCarthy) in 1:51 2/5 after a second-over trip. She got away sixth and watched as Prescient Beauty (Doug McNair) chopped out a 27 3/5 opening quarter before giving way to Quebec Blue Chip (Jamieson) going to the 55 2/5 half. Quebec Blue Chip remained in front at the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters, but favored Warrawee Ubeaut (Gingras) was looming first-up, and Tall Drink Hanover had latched on to her cover.

Warrawee Ubeaut got the lead away from Quebec Blue Chip on the outside in the lane, but then Warrawee Ubeaut lugged in badly and into Quebec Blue Chip, knocking them both off-stride. Tall Drink Hanover, who may have been going by regardless, took advantage of the confusion and kicked clear, winning by 2 3/4 lengths over Prescient Beauty. Odds On St Lucie (Brett Miller) collected third ahead of Carousel (Sylvain Filion) and Art Lecture (Tim Tetrick).

"This filly was great. I did want to race her that way," said McCarthy. "I probably didn't want to get as far back as I did, but the trip worked out. They slowed down a litle bit, I got moving, and I got cover. She really surged in the stretch."

The victorious daughter of Captaintreacherous is trained by Tony Alagna for owners Alagna Racing LLC., Marvin Katz, and Riverview Racing LLC. This was her fourth win from seven trips behind the gate, and she has now pocketed C$111,392. Also bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc., Tall Drink Hanover was a $35,000 acquisition at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is out of Take Into Account (The Panderosa, 1:53 4/5, $32,914), a half-sister to Account Rollover (Rocknroll Hanover, 1:50, $259,925). She returned $10.90 to win.

"She was off to a little bit of a slow start, but like we talked about, she came from Harrisburg, so she had about six weeks of a deficit behind these other fillies," remarked Alagna. "She just continues to improve, but we thought all winter in Florida she had the tools. It was just a matter of letting her get caught up to the rest of them, and she's done that.

"She's very easy on herself. She doesn't even wear earplugs. She's such a laid-back filly. You can leave with her, you can sit, you can come off-the-pace, you can do whatever you want with her. She's so versatile. I think that's something that I see a lot in the horses by Captaintreacherous that I have. They're just so versatile; they can do it either way."

The fillies will line up as follows for next Saturday night's C$590,000 final:

1. Treacherous Reign
2. Prescient Beauty
3. Ideation Hanover
4. Tall Drink Hanover
5. Carousel
6. Queen Of The Pride
7. Sylph Hanover
8. Odds On St Lucie
9. St Somewhere
10. Art Lecture
AE: Money Shot Hanover

--Menary quote courtesy of Woodbine Mohawk Park--