American Jewel wins Fan Hanover in WR 1:48.2

Brittany Farms' homebred American Jewel was pressed to the get the lead early but after she did there was no catching her as she won the $642,000 Fan Hanover final for 3-year-old filly pacers Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack in a world-record 1:48.2. Tim Tetrick drove for trainer Jimmy Takter as she lowered the previous world mark shared by Dancinwiththestarz and Strike An Attitude by two-fifths of a second.

 

Tetrick started from post five with the 4-5 favorite American Jewel and she was able to finally clear the front ahead of Romantic Moment and Yannick Gingras shortly before the first quarter was reached in :26.2. Tetrick then was able to rate his charge through a :29.2 second quarter to trigger the half-mile timer in :55, and then picked up the tempo considerable to reach three-quarters in 1:21.3.

 

With Romantic Moment in pursuit down the stretch, American Jewel closed out her mile with a quarter of :26.4 to win by a length. Big McDeal, who had sat third throughout with driver Jody Jamieson, finished third.

 

"She's such a talented filly," Tetrick said afterward. "She has high, high speed and can carry it a long way."

 

As for the race itself and forcing the issue early, Tetrick said, "I just wanted to have a clear path to the finish line. I was able to get a second-quarter breather. Then she just took off on her own."

 

A winner of eight of nine starts last year, American Jewel suffered a broken bone in a leg in her only loss, a second-place finish in Grand Circuit action at The Red Mile. She returned to the races in 2012 having never missed a beat as she finished second in her debut in New York Sire Stakes action May 19 at Vernon Downs and then won her Fan Hanover elimination in a career-best 1:50, an effort she lowered in the final.

 

The winning daughter of American Ideal out of the Camluck mare Trim Hanover also became a millionaire with the victory, boosting her earnings to more than $1,023,000.