Guienne Hanover Smashes Record

October 20, 2007

Ross Stables LLC’s Guienne Hanover (pictured left) blazed a 1:51.2 mile to smash the world record for 3-year-old filly trotters and win the Virginia Breeders Elimination by 13½ lengths Saturday at Colonial Downs.  

Guienne Hanover obliterated the track and world record of 1:54 and also bested Queen Serene’s North American mark for 3-year-old filly trotters of 1:52.

Driver John Wagner sent Guienne Hanover straight to the lead and the Yankee Glide filly zipped down the nearly half-mile long Colonial backstretch to take a clear lead through blistering fractions of 26.1 and 54.  Guienne Hanover led Self Made Woman by two lengths as the strung out field hit the turn.  Dusty Lane Selfish raced in third, six lengths behind Self Made Woman and five lengths clear of next best Fancy Flash.

Guienne Hanover kept pouring on the speed around the turn to maintain her large lead as Self Made Woman and Dusty Lane Selfish tried to keep up.  Guienne Hanover turned for home after three-quarters in a testing 1:22.2 with every right to quit during the daunting quarter-mile Colonial stretch but she found yet another gear to quickly draw off while trotting the final quarter two seconds faster than any of her rivals.

Self Made Woman held onto her second-place position throughout and Dusty Lane Selfish was a clear third.

Guienne Hanover picked up her sixth win in what was just her tenth lifetime start, all this season for trainer Manley Brown, Jr.

Guienne Hanover was not the only ultra-impressive winner of a Virginia Breeders Fund Elimination Saturday.  3-year-old pacer Southern Myles, the 2006 2-year-old champion, also smashed a track record with a 13-length win in 1:49 to stamp himself as the heavy favorite in October 27 Finals.  

Southern Myles (pictured right) simply dominated his elimination, sprinting out to the lead through fast fractions and cruising home as a 1-2 shot should to score his 20th win from 31 lifetime starts.  Blueridge Tooquick closed for second and Western Invader got third.  

Southern Myles bested the 1:49.3 mark Artiscape set in the 1998 Breeder’s Crown.  Richard Hans trains the 3-year-old Nucelar High colt for owner-breeder Gerald D. Kelley.

Ann S. McDonald’s Fast Tempo annexed the other 3-year-old colt and gelding pacer elimination in 1:50.3 after a perfect pocket trip for trainer-driver Mark Clark.   Caviart Cody, the 3-5 favorite, set the pace before yielding late to Fast Tempo but held on for second.  Winsmith Joe was third.

Caviart Cameron Endignant won the other two Virginia Breeders Eliminations Saturday.

Caviart Cameron and driver Kyle Ater prevailed in a stirring stretch duel to win the 3-year-old filly pacer elimination in 1:51.2 by a nose over Nf Debutante.  Caviart Cameron closed resolutely in the middle of the track to edge out Nf Debutante and pacesetter Ciela Hanover, who was a half-length back in third.  Jim Pollack, Jr. trains Caviart Cameron for owner Caviart Farms.  Hanover Shoe Farms bred the Western Hanover filly.  

Pamela Wagner’s Endignant beat three rivals in the 3-year-old colt and gelding trot elimination, contested as a non-betting race before the Colonial card.  The Enjoy Lavec colt wore down frontstepper Penn State Fan after a perfect pocket journey under the direction of Frank Milby.  Penn State Fan was second, 1¾ lengths back.  Our Last Photo was an even third.

Endignant and Penn State will be part trainer Manley Brown Jr.’s phalanx of favorites when the Finals are contested in the $350,000 Virginia Harness Day of Champions on Saturday October 27.