Armycaptin Hanover Loop debut ends in victory

 The harness racing season in Manitoba kicked off on Saturday (July 6) with a six-dash card. The feature race was the $4,800 Open in the sixth race. A field of six tough competitors with some coming from other tracks took the track.

One Last Bet (Blake Piwniuk) took the early lead and opened the race with 30.1 first quarter. One Last Bet held the lead past the half-mile station in 1:01.2 and the three-quarter mark in 1:32.1.

The eight-year-old gelding, Armycaptin Hanover (Captintreacherous) charged late and won in 2:02.4 after posting a 30-second last quarter. Michel Rey put Armycaptin Hanover fifth early and didn’t need to make a move until after the half-mile station. It wasn’t until the deep stretch that Armycaptin Hanover snuck by to win his seventh race of the year.

Richard Rey picks up his first training win of the new year. One Last Bet held onto second and Chazmichaelmichael (Richard Remillard) finished third.

Richard Remillard was the only driver to earn multiple wins. He was the winning driver of the first race with Nonversation (Mystician). The four-year-old mare earned her seventh career win and first of 2024. She paced the winning mile in 2:04.2. She has made only one prior start this year which was at Century Mile in January.

Remillard’s second driving win was in the third race with the three-year-old gelding, Lookinlikeamillion (Armbro Baylor). The mile was paced in 2:04.4 which is almost two full seconds off her lifetime mark. Lookinlikeamillion was one of the top two-year-old’s last year and has started her sophomore season off right.

Glenn Le Drew, Blake Piwniuk and Clayton Braybrook each earned a driving win on the day.

Racing returns to The Loop next Saturday (July 13) at 1:00 p.m. central.

For complete race results, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink