Dunn and Mirage Hanover pull clear in Tattersalls Pace division

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Mirage Hanover (Bettor’s Delight) posted a blowout harness racing victory while McCrunch (Captain Crunch) rallied in time to grab the win in their respective divisions of the $422,000 Tattersalls Pace, sponsored by Cameo Hills Farm, on Sunday (Oct. 6) at The Red Mile.

Mirage Hanover, off the 4-5 favorite, bolted from a pocket ride and scurried away to a 1:46.3 victory in the first division of the Tattersalls Pace.

Driver Dexter Dunn sent Mirage Hanover forward and landed on the pylons to the turn, but yielded command to Legendary Hanover (driven by James MacDonald) as he shuffled out of post 7 to lead the field by a :26.1 first quarter. Legendary Hanover coasted up the backstretch uncontested to a :53.4 half, but started feeling pressure around the final turn with Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy) plugging forward on the rim and Mirage Hanover antsy to move from the pocket. Dunn fed Mirage Hanover racetrack off three-quarters in 1:20.2 and darted by Legendary Hanover into the stretch. Mirage Hanover pulled clear of his competition through the lane to cross the beam 3-1/2 lengths better than Better Is Nice chasing in second. Captain’s Quarters (Yannick Gingras) finished third and Number Cruncher (Scott Zeron) closed from last for fourth.

“He’s such an honest, classy horse – two back-to-back performances in the Jug and was great today,” Dexter Dunn said after the race. “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 travelling so good coming off the last turn that, when I pulled him, he really went down great.”

MIRAGE HANOVER REPLAY

Jake Leamon trains Mirage Hanover, a colt by Bettor’s Delight, for owner Marvin Rounick. He won his eighth race from 24 starts, has now earned $570,093 and paid $3.82 to win.

McCrunch (Andy McCarthy) emerged from a first-turn shuffle to strike the winning blow at the end of a 1:48.2 mile in the second Tattersalls division.

Leaving from the pylon post, McCrunch moved forward but found himself fourth as 4-5 favorite Women Layer (Todd McCarthy) took the lead from Boston Rocks (Tim Tetrick) to a :27.1 first quarter with Nuclear (Dexter Dunn) on the move to the outside. Nuclear then grabbed the helm from Women Layer in the backside and clocked a :54 half while Tetrick waited and then committed to moving first over with Boston Rocks into the final turn. McCrunch perched onto the cover and loomed three wide spinning off three-quarters in 1:21.4 to mount a challenge against Nuclear in the stretch drive. McCrunch gathered steam to the center of the track and surged forward while holding off Women Layer skimming the pylons to win by 1-1/4 lengths with Nuclear left in third. Captain Luke (Scott Zeron) rallied from last for fourth.

McCRUNCH REPLAY

“It’s so much fun, especially for my partners – that’s what makes it so much fun,” co-owner Joe Sbrocco said after winning with McCrunch. “Johnny Fodera [co-owner] couldn’t make it [today], but I got him on the phone – he didn’t know what to say; he was screaming at me that we won.”

Sbrocco shares ownership of McCrunch, a colt by Captain Crunch, with 3 Brothers Stables, Caviart Farms and JAF Racing LLC. Nancy Takter trains the winner of seven races from 17 starts and $241,684 in purses who paid $10.70 to win.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile