Sylvia back on top at Mohawk

2023 Horse of the Year Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki) regained her crown as she won the Fillies and Mares Preferred at Woodbine Mohawk Park for the first time this harness racing season on Saturday.

The mare, who finished third in the Breeders Crown last month, was out-left by Huntress (Jonathan Drury) but stayed wide to push to the front through the quarter in :27.3. She reached the top at three-eighths for Bob McClure and cut middle fractions of :57.1 and 1:25.4.

Sylvia Hanover and pocket-sitter Huntress separated from the field as they battled down the lane. Huntress reeled her in late, and Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) joined them in deep-stretch, but Sylvia Hanover pulled away to complete the victory in 1:52.4.

Huntress finished second, three-quarters-of-a-length adrift, followed by Tells On A Roll.

SYLVIA HANOVER REPLAY

The victory was Sylvia Hanover’s third of the season in 17 outings. She was a champion at three, earning divisional honours in the U.S. and Canada, but started slow this season, failing to win until July. The Shawn Steacy-trained four-year-old has hit the board 12 times in 2024 and took a mark of 1:47.3 in October. She has compiled a record of 21 victories and $2,235,375 in 38 lifetime starts for Hudson Standardbred Stable.

In the co-featured $36,000 Preferred, the red-hot Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous) demolished his rivals in a lifetime-best 1:47.3. Louis-Philippe Roy mobilized him heading into the final turn, and the stallion swooped past his rivals to take over before reaching the stretch. Ervin Hanover left the rest behind, soaring away to win by six lengths with a :26 final quarter.

Fortify (Tyler Borth) was second, just ahead of the closing Jabberwocky (Trevor Henry).

ERVIN HANOVER REPLAY

Ervin Hanover has been on a tear this month, winning three straight for trainer Dave Menary including back-to-back Preferreds. He has made his home at Mohawk over the last five weeks after shipping in from Pocono Downs for owner Pollack Racing. The four-year-old has racked up 15 career wins and $496,428 in 57 career outings.

There were also two divisions of the Ontario-sired Harvest Series second leg for three-year-old males on the card. Market Banker (The Bank, Chris Christoforou) fired from the backfield to capture the trotting split in 1:55.4 by a length-and-a-quarter over Stony Burke (James MacDonald). Brudon (Mcwicked, MacDonald) snagged the pacing division, brushing to the lead on the backstretch and leading all the way home for a 1:52 victory.

The series for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings will conclude with the final on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Racing resumes at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Nov. 18 at 7:10 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink