Marloe Hanover impressive again in Mares Open

LEBANON, OH – Marloe Hanover (Brett Miller) scored a repeat win in the Tuesday (March 8) $26,000 Mares Open Pace, holding off even money favorite Drama Act (Chris Page), who was making her first harness racing start of the year at Miami Valley Raceway.

Rose Run Vision (Trevor Smith), who had also won two consecutive times in the weekly mares feature in mid-February, and Drama Act both left alertly with Marloe Hanover dropping in third. Rose Run Vision took command just as the top two passed the quarter in :27.

Nothing changed during the second stanza, reached in :56.1, but things heated up considerably as the field of top distaffs headed down the backstretch. Miller committed Marloe Hanover first-up on the outside and stuck a nose in front of Rose Run Vision at the 1:24 three quarters mark.

Marloe Hanover and Miller went on to win by a half-length in 1:52.1. Drama Act tried valiantly to catch the winning 5-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous, but couldn’t manage with just a qualifier under her girth since he last start—a winning effort on December 4. Sherri’s Babe (Trace Tetrick) followed Marloe Hanover’s progress around the final bend and was towed into third.

Virgil Morgan Jr. trains the back-to-back winner for the Let It Ride Stable and the J. L Benson Stable of Florida. Marloe Hanover paid $7.00 to win.

Finalists were determined for the Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley championship to be contested next Tuesday (March 15) at the extended distance of 1-1/4 miles. Two $20,000 one-mile trot races concluded the preliminary events, with the winner of each clocking 1:55.4.

Shake It Mary (Tetrick), who impressed with a winning 1:10 5/8ths mile dash in Leg 1, won the first split over Milford’s Z Tam (Josh Sutton) and Outofbait (Jeremy Smith). Sherif Cunmulaj conditions the 6-year-old mare sired by Dontyouforgetit for the Rushcreek Stable.

Shine All The Way (Miller) captured the second division over Riverdancing Diva (Page) and Conway Kellyanne (Smith). The 5-year-old, also by Dontyouforgetit, made an uncharacteristic break in his Leg 1 dash and was in jeopardy of missing the final with an eighth of a mile to go in Leg 2.

After settling in third early in the mile, Shine All The Way was locked in and shuffled back to sixth as the trotters turned for home. Miller finally found a seam to the outside and then flew down the middle of the track to victory. Trainer Victor Gray Sr. co-owns the winner with Pay Dirt Racing and Colin Hurst.