by john manzi for
the CKG Billings Amateur Driving Series
Once
again a lady is making big news in amateur racing. No, this time it isn’t
“Hurricane Hannah” Miller, even though she finished fifth in the mile. Tonight
belonged to “Super Sarah” Svanstedt as the talented miss romped to an
oh-so-easy eight-length triumph with Sky Hanover in a 1:55.4 clocking in the
Billings Trot in the second race on the betting card at the Meadowlands.
However,
the outcome prior to the start wasn’t a real mystery especially for chalk
players, who along with the betting public sent Sky Hanover away at odds of 40
cents on a dollar. And “Super Sarah” didn’t let her backers down.
After
getting away softly Sky Hanover fell into sixth position after leaving from the
three-hole as Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff and Keystone Thomas showed the way
to a :28.1 quarter. With Allen “Slam” Cisco and Karets supplying pressure on
the limb it forced Hechkoff to take the field by the halfway point in :56.4 .
But lurking near the back of the pack Ms Svanstedt swung Sky Hanover to the
outside behind cover of two others on that same route.
Still
in sixth position as the leaders passed the half when the field straightened
out up the backside “Super Sarah” fed her trotter racetrack and they went
three wide around the front-enders and Sky Hanover ranged alongside
Keystone Thomas with less than a quarter mile to go. When the two
headed for paydirt Sky Hanover put on his trotting shoes and opened up
daylight with every stride. And when he reached the finish line he was an
eight-length winner over Hechkoff’s Keystone Thomas. Third place went to Mark’s
Gold Band driven by “Buffalo Bob” Davis.
It
was the second win thisw season for the Donato Hanover 4 year old mare sent off
as the prohibitive betting favorite. Sky Hanover paid $2.40 for win. He is
owned by Knutsson Trotting and trained by Ake Svanstedt.
