Tony and Mary Schadel's Aflame Hanover equalled a Shenandoah Downs track record time of 1:52.1 in Sunday's $10,811 Winner's Over pacing feature, which highlighted the ninth season opening race weekend in Woodstock, Virginia.
Four $12,600 features races at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon were split evenly between male pacers and trotters.
Always B Sweet, a Pennsylvania Stallion Series winner earlier, defeated Curbside Pickup and favoured PaSS winner Literl Lad Hanover in a 1:50.1 section of the features for pacing males. The Always B Miki gelding, even coming off a sick scratch, was just too much to overhaul, posting fractions of :27, :56.1, and 1:23 before crossing the wire and knocking more than a full second off his lifetime mark. Curbside Pickup was a neck ahead of Literl Lad Hanover but 4-1/4 lengths behind the winner, who was guided by Andrew McCarthy for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner John.
Rich And Miserable, the 2019 Trotter of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, moved even closer to $500,000 in career earnings with a 1:54.2 victory in the $11,200 featured event on the Sunday twilight card.
Driver Tyler Buter spotted the Explosive Matter gelding third from post 7 before the :28 quarter, then brushed him to command and put up middle splits of :57 and 1:26. Blenheim made a good charge in the stretch, but the :28.2 last split put up by Rich And Miserable was enough to keep him one-and-a-half lengths ahead of that rival.
The Todd Buter trainee, owned by Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, William and Carol Fuhs, boosted his career bankroll to $494,636 as he recorded his 25th win in 74 trips behind the gate. The veteran has done especially well at Pocono, as his record at the mountain oval is 11 wins in 19 starts, including his last two outings.