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On Saturday night (July 20), Elista Hanover (International Moni) will attempt to win her ninth straight harness racing start this year as she headlines the $30,800 Tompkins-Geers Stake at The Meadowlands for three-year-old trotting fillies.
The chestnut filly finished third in her first start of the season and since then has yet to lose in her next eight races for driver David Miller, co-owner and trainer Annie Stoebe and R. Lynn & Philomena Curry.
Sporting just one win in nine starts last year at age 2, Elista Hanover was a $240,000 yearling purchase who is now on the brink of earning dividends with lifetime earnings at $175,958 and plenty more stakes races to go. A victory would also make Elista Hanover the winningest three-year-old trotter in North America.
Racing primarily in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program, Elista Hanover started off the season with a clean sweep of the Weiss Series at Pocono Downs, then three legs of the PA Sire Stakes and throw in a division of the PA All-Stars too.
Her first venture on the Grand Circuit was her last start back on June 29 where Elista Hanover returned to The Meadowlands and won the Reynolds Memorial from post 8. She left for driver David Miller, was parked out to the opening quarter mile and then wired the field, winning with ease by three and one-quarter lengths in 1:52.3, tying her lifetime mark she set the week prior. Her last quarter was a speedy :26.2.
On Saturday, Elista Hanover heads the 6th race, one of two divisions of the Tompkins-Geers. She will start from post three with Miller in the sulky and is the 4/5 morning line favorite.
She faces some new competition in Miss I LA (post 2), who has won two of her last three starts, the fastest a 1:57.2 triumph in the $55,000 NY NY Trot at Yonkers Raceway. Other competitors include return winner Kinesiology (post 4), who is coming off a lifetime best 1:54.3 victory in the Zweig Memorial consolation.
Another return winner in the field is St Pauli Girl (post 6), who has won four of her eight starts for owner-breeder-trainer D R Ackerman. In her last start she scored a lifetime mark of 1:54.2 at Pocono Downs.
The second $30,800 division of the Tompkins-Geers is the 8th race headlined by Honey’s Sweet (post 5) for driver Yannick Gingras against return winner Meetmeatthebar (post 1) with driver Scott Zeron and Sambuca Hanover (post 6) with David Miller in the bike.
The Tompkins-Geers Stake for the trotting colts has just one $76,700 division in the 9th race. Featured in the full field of ten starters are three return winners. Race favorite at 2-1 is Secret Agent Man (post 1) for driver Andy Miller and he is coming off an amazing 1:50.3 lifetime mark at the Meadowlands.
Other contenders include Big Ben Pellini S (post 6) for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt who has won three of his past four starts, scoring a lifetime mark last time out at Pocono Downs in 1:52.1. Bella’s Musclehill (post 4) for David Miller has won two of his last three starts, the fastest a 1:52 lifetime mark.
For free Meadowlands race programs, click here.
by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink
