Panther
Hanover [$13.40, $4.40, $3.00] got up in the final strides to collect a head
victory over Hurrikane Kingcole [$2.60, $2.10], who cut torrid fractions before
settling for second in the 1:47.2 mile, a New Jersey Classic stakes record,
only two ticks off the 1:47 flat track record for three-year-olds by Art
Official in 2008.
It
was two and three-quarter lengths back to Rollnlikeabigshot [$3.00], a son of
Rocknroll Hanover, in third.
Panther
Hanover’s owner, Jim Carr, and trainer, James “Friday” Dean teamed to win the
2011 New Jersey Classic with Big Jim.
Hurrikane
Kingcole, a son of Cam’s Card Shark, was the fireball, cutting fractions of
26.3, 52.2 and 1:18.2 with driver Yannick Gingras in tow.
“He
got fired up behind the gate, and he was gone,” said Gingras. “I wish I
could have rated him a bit. You know you can’t go fractions in 1:18.”
There
to pick up the pieces with Panther Hanover, a son of Rocknroll Hanover, with
Sylvain Filion in the sulky.
“I
thought I had a good shot to beat him at the top of the stretch,” said
Filion.
“I
knew we had a good horse, but we really hadn’t tested him,” Carr noted.
“He had foot problems and missed the North America Cup.”
Panther
Hanover picked up his fifth win in six starts this year and seventh in 10
career outings. A $45,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase lifted his
career bankroll to $205,092.
The
Hambletonian Day crowd was 24,521 with total wagering of $7,602,755 of which
$1,649,385 was bet on track.
--Submitted by Carol Hodes for SBOANJ
