Untouchable

Hannelore Hanover would not be denied an Armbro Flight repeat.

Saturday’s (June 17) stakes action began with the talented Ron Burke trained trotting mare Hannelore Hanover living up to the hype as the 1-5 favorite and defending champion in the C$253,000 Armbro Flight Stakes.

Sent postward as the overwhelming favorite after winning her elimination last week with ease in rein to Yannick Gingras, Hannelore Hanover trotted out from post four and cleared the :27 first quarter speedster Emoticon Hanover (Sylvain Filion) at three-eighths. From there, she led through a half in :56.1 and raced on to three-quarters in 1:24.1 before extending her leading margin to three lengths down the stretch to stop the clock in 1:51.4 -four-fifths of a second off the stakes, track and Canadian record she set last year. Her fellow elimination winner, Charmed Life (Louis-Philippe Roy), advanced from an early five-hole to finish second ahead of Emoticon Hanover.

“There was a lot of movement behind the gate and a lot of close quarters there for a little bit so I just wanted to make my way to the front as easy as I could and keep her out of trouble,” said Gingras, who noted that a delay to the start of the race with contender Majestic Presence (fourth) in need of an equipment adjustment made his mare a little anxious. “I scored her down a little bit to get her attention before that happened and I got her attention, that’s for sure. She was a little bit grabby and wouldn’t quite relax for me after that.”

The Swan For All-High Sobriety mare, who is now three-for-four in her 5-year-old campaign, has won 29 of her 45 races lifetime while amassing C$1.69 million in purse earnings.
Gingras, who said that it is nights like this that are what he and his fellow catch-drivers live for, considers Hannelore Hanover one of the best horses he’s driven along with the likes of trotters Father Patrick, Mission Brief, Ariana G and Southwind Frank.

“I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but I’ve been really fortunate and she’s just as good as the rest of them,” he said.

Hannelore Hanover is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and J And T Silva Stables LLC.

She paid $2.40 to win and $2.10 to place. There was no show wagering.

from Standardbred Canada