CHESTER PA – The $325,000 yearling purchase Energetic Hanover, a sophomore who did not race at two, is starting to show the promise of his pedigree, on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia posting a new mark of 1:50.3 in winning the $15,300 featured pace.
A Captaintreacherous gelding, Energetic Hanover is out of Eloquent Grace, who is a Well Said sister to the $1M+-winning full brother and sister Fred And Ginger and Ginger And Fred (helping to explain the common thread of names in the family). Energetic Hanover danced away from his competition Friday, moving to the lead past a :27.2 quarter under Todd McCarthy’s guidance, then motoring by the half in :55.3, the three-quarters in 1:23.1, and the finish three lengths ahead of Jo Pa’s Warrior, whom he had passed for the lead. The Brett Pelling trainee is five for eleven on the season, with a Pennsylvania Sire Stake win on June 8, for owners David Mc Duffee, Melvin Hartman, Steven Arnold, and Paul Bordogna.
There were four paces for the American Harness Drivers Club amateur horsemen. Tony Beltrami won twice with Brandon Mongiello trainees, including a notable uncovered-the-mile win with Maajaackkobe in an across-the-track stretch drive. Johnathan Ahle and John Calabrese also visited the AHDC winners circle. And in all four AHDC events, the half was reached in :56 or less, reflecting the hard-contested races.
Some special cards of racing are in the near future at Harrah’s Philadelphia, starting with Sunday’s 12:40 program which in its $22,500 feature handicap pace finds last year’s top older pacer, Allywag Hanover, beginning from the outside in the field of six. The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for two-year-old colts come to town for the 12:25 cards next Wednesday and Thursday – the first day the pacers will be featured, and then the trotters. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.