Marloe Hanover finally wins F&M Open Pace

LEBANON, OH – Marloe Hanover had been knocking on the door when the best harness racing pacing mares in the Midwest gathered for their weekly $30,000 confrontation in Miami Valley’s Mares Open, finishing second or third in four straight starts.

On Tuesday (March 2), the classy 5-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous burst through the door with a dominating 1:51.1 triumph.

Driver Brett Miller asked the winner for quick pace as the wings of the Mike Woebkenberg starting gate swung open. After briefly allowing longshot Gone Girl (Tyler Smith) to cross in front of his charge, Miller immediately retook the lead before the :27.1 quarter was reached.

That pair remained one-two through middle fractions of :55.3 and 1:23.1 and stayed in that order through the finish line. Sherri’s Babe (Trevor Smith) was next best in the ten-horse field. Marloe Hanover paid $3.20 to win, while $2 exacta bettors who coupled her with Gone Girl got a hefty $96.20 return.

Virgil Morgan Jr. trains Marloe Hanover for the Let It Ride Stable and J. L. Benson Stable. With 16 wins in her first 75 career starts she now sports earnings of $627,182.

The Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley for mid-range trotters also kicked off in two divisions.

The first leg races were 5/8ths mile dashes, while the second leg will be contested at the conventional one mile and the $27,500 championship will go 1-1/4 miles (two laps) on March 15.

Double A Goldrush (Tony Hall) took full advantage of an inside draw in the first split and toured the five-eighths mile oval in 1:10.2 to win by six lengths over Thruway (Josh Sutton) and Pilgrims Image (Trace Tetrick). Ross Leonard trains the 8-year-old Elegant Man gelding for owners Michael and Laura Lee and Terry Leonard.

Shake It Mary (Tetrick) proved best in the second division, topping Milford’s Z Tam (Sutton) and Namje (Kayne Kauffman) in 1:10, missing the 1:09 World Record by a second. The 2-1/4 length winner is conditioned by Sherif Cunmulaj for the Rushcreek Stables.

Racing resumes at Miami Valley on Wednesday (March 2) with the normal 4:05 first race post time.