Mirage Hanover and McCrunch brought home wins in the pair of $211,000 Tattersalls divisions for 3-year-old pacing males on Sunday afternoon at The Red Mile.
Driven by Dexter Dunn, Mirage Hanover tracked Legendary Hanover (James MacDonald) from the pocket through fractions of 26 1/5, 53 4/5 and 1:20 2/5, then vaulted into the lead in the lane. There was no catching Mirage Hanover from there as he pulled away to tally by 3 1/2 lengths over Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy) in 1:46 3/5. Captain's Quarters (Yannick Gingras) was third.
"He's such an honest, classy horse. Two great back-to-back performances in the Jug and he was great today," said Dunn. "We had to use him a little bit early, but we got the right helmet after that. The pace was pretty hot and he was traveling so good coming off that last turn that when I pulled him he really let down great."
Now the fastest offspring of Bettor's Delight, harness racing's all-time leading sire, Mirage Hanover is trained by Jake Leamon for owner Marvin Rounick. The Hanover Shoe Farms-bred has summary of 7-7-4 from 24 starts, has pocketed $570,093 and paid $3.82 to win.
► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter
In the other flight 4-5 favorite Women Layer (Todd McCarthy) cut the quarter in 27 1/5, but Dunn, who wasn't on the gate with Nuclear at the start of the race, elected to drive on two-wide and hit the front on the way to the 54 second half-mile marker. Nuclear would continue to show the way at three-quarters in 1:21 4/5, but McCrunch (A. McCarthy), who had followed Boston Rocks (Tim Tetrick) from second-over on the final bend, surged three-wide into the lead in the stretch and got to the wire a length and a quarter on top in 1:48 2/5. Women Layer had to settle for second and Nuclear checked in third.
Nancy Takter trains McCrunch, a Captain Crunch colt, for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Caviart Farms, Joe Sbrocco and Jaf Racing LLC. McCrunch has seven victories, three seconds and two thirds in 17 appearances, has banked $241,684 and returned $10.70 to win.