By Ellen Harvey
In a 1:51 world-record performance
for a 4-year-old mare, Emoticon Hanover and Daniel Dube made light work of the
field to win their division of the $30,000 Miss Vesatility for open trotting
mares by a length and a half on
Saturday at the Meadowlands.
Dube got the daughter of Kadabra off the
gate and to the lead first before the :28.3 first quarter and held Broadway
Donna and David Miller behind them to the :56 half mile maker.
They were in the same order at the 1:24.2
three quarters, after Broadway Donna came off the rail briefly and then
retreated. In deep stretch, Emoticon Hanover ($9.80 to win) trotted away
from the field as Pasithea Face S slipped up the rail to be second and Broadway
Donna was third, three-quarters of a length behind her on the outside.
“She went around the track nice and easy,”
said Dube. “I just let her trot at the end and she did it very easy. I saw
(Broadway Donna) coming and my mare responded really good."
Emoticon Hanover is owned by Determination
Stable of Montreal and trained by Luc Blais.
In the other division, Hannelore Hanover
($2.10) and driver Yannick Gingras never had an anxious moment, winning the
first of the two divisions by five lengths in 1:50.3, a new career mark.
Side Bet Hanover (Corey Callahan) was first
off the starting gate, getting to the lead before the :27.3 first
quarter. Hannelore Hanover was out and on the move just past that point
and crossed over to the lead along the rail by the :55 half, with Side Bet
Hanover tucked in behind her.
Hannelore led the way to the 1:23.1
three-quarters with Side Bet Hanover behind her and Sweet Thing (Tim Tetrick)
making a play for the lead on the outside. As the field turned for home,
Hannelore Hanover trotted away from the field, leaving Caprice Hill in second
and Oho Diamond a half-length behind her in third.
Hannelore Hanover is trained by Ron Burke
for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino and Jerry and
Teresa Silver.
“She’s definitely sounder (than last year)
so it makes it easier,” said Gingras. “At times last year she was a
little sore, but now she’s really sound. That was a really good
mile tonight and now
she’s ready to rock. (Racing against the male trotters) is definitely on
the horizon. We’ve got them on the radar for the big purses and also
against the girls, but we’re going to face them soon,” he said.
