Track and stakes record tied by Warrawee Michelle

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Ake Svanstedt won his third race of the day, and James MacDonald picked up a great catch-drive and did the most with it, as the Hambletonian Oaks winning Walner-Sound Check filly Warrawee Michelle was an impressive wire-to-wire harness racing winner in the $250,000 Delmonica Hanover Trot in a track and stakes-record-equaling 1:51.3 on Saturday at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs.

The 1:51.3 clocking had been the time of 2022 Delmonica Hanover winner Joviality S, while Check Me Out and Designed To Be also have a share of the Pocono divisional mark.

“Ake told me that I should leave with her, and I did,” MacDonald understated, and Warrawee Michelle buzzed away from the outside post eight to have command well before the :27.2 quarter, then got to the half in :56.2. The outer tier consisted of French Champagne and then the two favorites, Buy A Round and Elista Hanover, but it was the first-over who had the most trot after the 1:23.2 three-quarters, giving a challenge to the winner that she answered by 2-1/4 lengths.

“I felt pretty confident around the last turn,” MacDonald said, “since I had the lead, I hadn’t stretched my filly too much, and the favorites weren’t that close-up.” MacDonald had every right to be confident in the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian Oaks winner, as she raised her lifetime earnings to $872,875 for Ake Svanstedt Inc., Santandrea Inc., and Young Guns.

WARRAWEE MICHELLE REPLAY

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Driver David Miller let the Bar Hopping-Snow Angel Hanover filly Sambuca Hanover gradually make the lead in front of the stands, and the sophomore never relinquished control the rest of the way in the $125,000 Delmonica Hanover Consolation en route to a 1:52.4 lifetime mark for trainer Nifty Norman and owners David McDuffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman. The connections of the winner of $390,639 were not sorry to see the wire come as chalk Paulina Hanover was second-over but behind bad cover, had to duck inside and then await inside clearance, and missed by a head. Nymeria was third.

SAMBUCA HANOVER REPLAY

The Walner-Spring Gala filly Soiree Hanover, a winner of $607,955 at age 2 against stakes opposition but winless in three starts at 3, came with a giant move around the far turn to go to the lead and drew off to a lifetime best of 1:52.2 in the $75,000 Delmonica Hanover Consolation II, 3-3/4 lengths to the good of Cheval Rapide. Slip Sliding Away was third. Tim Tetrick drove the winner, who powered her last half in :55, for trainer Lucas Wallin and owner Snogarps Gard Inc.

SOIREE HANOVER REPLAY

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA