Am Nat elims at Balmoral

The American National Pace elimination proved to be a showcase for the sport's fastest ever performer as Holborn Hanover annihilated the track standard for an older gelding pacer with a one-length victory in 1:48.1. The previous record of 1:49.1 had been held by three others. Med Vac won the Am-Nat trot elim with a 1:53.1 score.

Fresh off becoming the fastest pacer in history with a 1:46.4 clocking in the U.S. Pacing Championship, Holborn Hanover was once again ready to roll after taking a week off to freshen up. As soon as the wings on the starting gate folded, Tim Tetrick sent Maltese Artist stormed to the top. Another part of the three-horse Fielding owned entry Stonebridge Regal, was able to work his way into the pocket as driver George Brennan eased Holborn Hanover away third. The opening quarter was paced in a quick :27.1.

Using the same tactics they employed in their record-setting mile, Brennan then moved his charge to the front as the field raced down the backstretch. After making the lead, Brennan happily gave up the top spot when Ponder (Peter Wrenn) came calling as they reached the half-mile mark in :54.

“I was really happy with the trip we were getting,” said Brennan. “I wanted to be as easy as I could on him coming off that last race.”

The top two remained intact around the final turn but the pace had quickened as track record holder Quik Pulse Mindale (Brent Holland) was putting in a first- over bid on in third. Pacing that quarter into the wind in a brisk :26.3, Ponder led the field into the stretch with a 1 ½ length lead.

“I really didn’t think we were going that fast around the turn,” explained Brennan. “I just knew that I was happy to be covered up and that Ponder would take us deep into the stretch.”

Moving through the lane Ponder was clinging to a precarious head advantage while straying from the pylons. That gave Holborn Hanover clear sailing and the Brett Robinson trainee wasted no time getting into high gear. Pacing home with long powerful strides, Holborn Hanover quickly grabbed command from Ponder and then held off the late challenge of Maltese Artist who wound up finishing second in a dead-heat with Ponder.

The top nine finishers--along with Lis Mara--will contest the American National final next week.

A field of eight trotters was sent postward in the American National Aged Trot elimination. With the defections of War Paint (Judges) and Lawman (Sick), all eight starters in Saturday’s battle advanced to the $200,000 final, where they will be joined by Sand Vic next week.

“Chalk” players did not fare very well in this affair as 10-1 outsider Med Vac held off a game Dink Adoo to win by a half-length in a snappy 1:53.1. That clocking equaled the track standard for a 4-year-old gelding trotter.

Quickly taking command on the final turn, Med Vac looked strong on the front as he raced by the three-quarter-mile station in 1:25.2. Dink Adoo was right on his back in second while Dunkster was starting to lose touch with the top pair, trotting along six-lengths back, in third. Vivid Photo (Roger Hammer), the 3-5 favorite in the race, was floundering on the outside in fourth at this point, some 11 lengths off the lead.

Through the lane a tired but game Med Vac was starting to drift out a bit giving Dink Adoo a clear path on the inside of him. Despite the clear sailing Dink Adoo was never able to collar the rugged Med Vac as they battled tooth and nail through the final sixteenth of a mile. At the wire it was Med Vac who proved best, taking a new life mark in his track record equaling performance. Justice Hall, a 44-1 longshot from post position 10, rallied late to finish third, 6 ½ lengths behind the winner. A dull Vivid Photo wound up seventh 24 ¾ lengths back.

The win was the fifth in 11 starts for Med Vac, a son of Cr Commando owned by Adam Victor and Son Stable and trained by Darby Miller.

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