Valentowner makes it 4 in a row

In the Silky Sullivan style that has become his signature, Valentowner blazed the back half in a first-over 54.4 to capture his fourth straight in Tuesday’s $25,000 Winners Over $10,000/Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows.
 
Valentowner, who has erased deficits of at least 6-1/2 lengths in each win in the streak, moved uncovered down the backside for Mike Wilder after the leader, Upfront Hannahsboy, and nailed him by a nose on the wire in 1:51.2, a lifetime best. Sand Benelli was third.
 
Jim Arledge, Jr. trains both Valentowner and Upfront Hannahsboy, giving him two consecutive exacta sweeps in the track’s top pace. Bob Key bred and owns Valentowner, a 5-year-old son of Towner’s Big Guy-Key’s Valentine who pushed his career bankroll beyond $300,000.
 
The card also featured two $15,000, second-leg divisions of the Lookout Hanover for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Go Get Em took his split in facile, front-end fashion, scoring for Dave Palone in 1:52.3, equaling the fastest mile this year by a sophomore gelding on a 5/8-mile track.
 
The pocket-sitting Totally Empressive finished second, 4 lengths in arrears, while I Like It Hot was third. Ervin Miller Stable, Benita Simmons, Leland Mathias and Bert Hochsprung own Go Get Em, a son of Four Starzz Shark-She’s The One who took his second straight in the series.
 
Arledge, Key and Palone teamed to win the other division with Picture Me, who cruised on the lead despite being parked out the first quarter. A son of The Panderosa-Lady’s Portrait, Picture Me triumphed in 1:54.1, lowering his lifetime mark 1.2 seconds. Dallenbach Hanover was 2-1/4 lengths back in second, with Tyber Shark third.
 
Brett Miller drove four winners and Palone three on the 14-race program.(The Meadows)