Six-figure buy impresses in stakes debut

Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki), a $135,000 Harrisburg purchase, made her harness racing debut on Tuesday (Jul. 26) with a victory in the Whenuwishuponastar first leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Valley Of Fear (Fear The Dragon, Phil Hudon) roared past the fast-starting Sylvia Hanover in the dash for the first turn, but Bob McClure pulled the latter filly out of second and put her back on top all before hitting the quarter in :27.2. Sylvia Hanover would soon be back in the pocket as Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots leg one winner Bankers Luck (Hes Watching, Doug McNair) brushed to the front in a :57 half.

Bankers Luck looked to put it out of reach with a blitz to three-quarters in 1:24.4, but Sylvia Hanover stayed on McNair’s helmet and swung out of the pocket in the stretch. Bankers Luck was unwavering into the final eighth, but Sylvia Hanover found another gear late to get past her by a head in 1:51.2. Valley Of Fear finished eight-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.

Sylvia Hanover’s time is the fastest mile for a two-year-old in Canada this season. She raised the bar for a filly by more than two seconds and beat undefeated double OSS Gold-winning colt Stockade Seelster’s mark by a fifth. She was also two-fifths off the North American season’s record for a two-year-old filly, which was set by Cultured at the Meadowlands a day before Bulldog Hanover broke the 1:46 barrier.

SYLVIA HANOVER REPLAY

Shawn Steacy trains Sylvia Hanover for Hudson Standardbred Stable of Hudson. The filly is out of Artiscape mare Shyaway, the dam of double millionaire Western Fame.

Treacherousdame (Captaintreacherous) broke her maiden in the second Whenuwishuponastar division.

The filly drifted out into the three-hole for McNair and hugged the pylons through :28.4, :58.1, and 1:26.2 fractions provided by stablemate Treacherous Penny (Captaintreacherous, McClure). Treacherousdame tipped out in the stretch and exploded at the eighth pole, soaring past Treacherous Penny for the one-length 1:53.1 victory.

Treacherous Penny was three-quarters of a length better than Always B A Star (Always B Miki, Jody Jamieson) for second.

TREACHEROUSDAME

Treacherousdame, a homebred for Willow Oak Ranch of Rogersville, is one-for-two lifetime after a fourth-place finish in the Kindergarten on debut. Tony Alagna trains the seventh foal from Real Desire dam Cpa, who produced stakes-winning mares Authorize and Act Now.

The second leg of the series for rookie pacing fillies will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park followed by the $50,000A final at the same track on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Live racing resumes at Woodbine Mohawk Park with second legs of the Millard Farms and Pure Ivory and first round of the Dream Maker on Thursday, Jul. 28. First post is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink