Publicity Seeker earns headlines in $56,200 Dream of Glory

Three-to-five favourite Publicity Seeker did not disappoint in the $56,200 Dream of Glory Final on Saturday as he scored a decisive victory in Hanover Raceway’s signature event.

Driver Doug McNair sent the Muscle Mass gelding forward in the centre of a three-wide speed duel with Sweet Soul David (Sylvain Filion) and Tipsy In Dixie (James MacDonald) into the first turn. Publicity Seeker was the first to back down, dropping back to third, but McNair re-launched the gelding to the two-path at the quarter mile marker in :28, and they took command after a quick brush.

McNair gave Publicity Seeker :57.3 and 1:27.4 middle fractions to work with, and he led into the final turn with Tipsy In Dixie looming first-over and Sweet Soul David ready to pounce in the pocket. Publicity Seeker proved strongest though, as he kicked away from Tipsy In Dixie at headstretch and held off Sweet Soul David to capture the stakes victory in 1:57.3.

“I figured I’d go out of there beside Sylvain, and I figured he’d want to follow me,” McNair said in a post-race interview on the broadcast. “But James got around us pretty good on the first turn, and I really had no choice but to drop him in and look for a move or get away third and come first up, so I took my shot and it worked out.”

PUBLICITY SEEKER REPLAY

Publicity Seeker has now won seven of 13 career starts and has earned $146,760. Richard Thompson, the gelding’s breeder, co-owns with fellow London resident Stephen Bossence and Derek Reid of Etobicoke. Bossence trains the $38,000 2019 London Selected sale purchase. After dominating the Ontario Harvest series at the end of his two-year-old season, Publicity Seeker has been competitive in Ontario Sires Stakes Gold company. He has finished second in two starts in the series this year and missed by a neck in his Jul. 11 attempt.

McNair said the gelding deserved the victory in that contest.

“He should’ve won last [time],” McNair said. “I kind of took a hold of him heading into the last turn. I think if I just let him trot he would’ve won last time, so it’s kind of my fault, but we got up for it tonight.”

McNair has now won the event two years in a row. He drove Remember Titans to victory in the 2020 edition of the race. It is named after Dream Of Glory, a superb racehorse that was named USTA Champion for three straight years despite not entering some of harness racing’s most prestigious events. Off the track, he produced offspring that won more than $48 million. He passed away in 1992.

The Dream of Glory is an annual event at Hanover Raceway for Ontario-sired three-year-old pacers.

Also on the card, Sir Pugsley and McNair won Gail Murray Invitational Pace in 1:54.4. The race was named in recognition of longtime Hanover Raceway worker Gail Murray, who presented the cooler to the winning connections. The horse, a seven-year-old Patrick Shepherd-trained American Ideal stallion, is owned by Robert Woodburn of St. Thomas.

McNair won four of the afternoon’s 10 dashes.

Hanover Raceway’s next card is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 7. The track has seven cards remaining in its meet.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink