Opening round of Town Pro Pacing Series

Three-year-old pacing fillies Unred Hanover and Mileys Big World each put forth a career-best performance to win their respective opening-round divisions of the Town Pro Pacing Series on Friday night at Mohawk.

 

Unred Hanover took a new lifetime mark when she crossed the finish line first in her $20,000 dash. With driver Paul MacDonell in the sulky, the Travis Umphrey trainee stopped the teletimer in 1:51.2.

 

It was Albanian Era (Doug McNair) who powered off the gate first, but Docs Hope (Jason Brewer) cleared before the :26.4 opening quarter.

 

Into the backstretch, Unred Hanover advanced first-up from third, while the 4-5 favourite, Persistent (Scott Zeron), caught her cover. As soon as Unred Hanover took command, Persistent made her bid for the lead. The Casie Coleman pupil clocked the half in :54.1 and then the three-quarters in 1:22.3.

 

In the stretch, MacDonell fed Unred Hanover open racetrack and the sophomore filly was able to score the three-quarter length victory over the 9-5 second choice, Docs Hope. Persistent faded to third.

 

“The trip really worked out well for us,” said Umphrey. “We will see how she comes out of the race, but it’s a good start to the series anyways.

 

“She is a big, strong filly and she always seems to have that good last kick,” he added. “I think if you can save that and not use her hard early she seems a little stronger. She got used a little bit to the half, but I couldn’t be happier with the way she raced tonight.”

 

The daughter of Western Ideal-Up Front Red, who was unraced as a rookie, has put together a record reading 4-3-0 in seven 2012 outings. With the victory, the pacing miss increased her career earnings to $53,000 for Umphrey, who owns a piece of the bay with Terry Hamilton and Shir Win Racing Stable.

 

Unred Hanover paid $9.40 to win as the third choice.

 

Mileys Big World also lowered her lifetime mark en route to capturing the second division in 1:53.3 for trainer Murray Brethour and driver Steve Condren.

 

Spicy Celine Dijon (Anthony MacDonald), who suffered broken equipment and was taken into the safety lane in the turn, clocked the first quarter in :27.1. The 2-1 favourite, Taras Jet (Scott Zeron), then inherited the lead as Spicy Celine Dijon was pulled up. A parked-out Pure Diamond (Luc Ouellette) drove on to take command before the half in :55, while Mileys Big World had launched a first-over attack from fifth.

 

After Pure Diamond passed the three-quarters in 1:24.4, Mileys Big World was able to pace on by the leader in the stretch to score the one and a half length victory. Hammers Princess (Doug McNair) and Machnazetrois (Sylvain Filion) finished second and third, respectively.

 

“I really wanted to get away in a position where I could get a second over (trip), but they just kept coming so I had to go early,” said Condren. “I just kind of rated her on the outside and when I asked her to go she went pretty good. She is much better off a helmet, but she raced good tonight.”

 

The homebred daughter of Cams Card Shark-Magnify This, who was winless as a freshman, has crafted a record of 3-3-1 in 10 seasonal starts. The pacing lass lifted her career earnings to $54,990 with the win for Brethour, who co-owns the bay with breeder Donald Varcoe.

 

Mileys Big World returned $7.80 to win as the third choice.

 

The $30,000 second leg of the Town Pro Series, for sophomore pacing fillies that are non-winners of two races or $10,000 lifetime as of midnight March 31, is scheduled for Monday, July 16, with the $60,000 final slated for Thursday, July 26. (WEG)