By Tom White
9/17/03

Numeric Hanover Wins Jugette By Disqualification

Numeric Hanover won the record $358,175 Jugette 3YO Filly Pace by disqualification Wednesday afternoon at the Delaware, Ohio County Fairgrounds. Odds On Charmaine, who finished first by a length, was disqualified and placed fifth for interference with Remember When at the top of the stretch.

"It didn’t take any of the luster off the victory," said driver Dave Palone. "The check won’t say she was placed the winner."

As the gate unfolded Animated Art and driver Michel Lachance gained the early lead and led the field past the quarter in 28 seconds. Just past the quarter Animated Art broke stride handing the lead to Numeric Hanover who set the pace through the remaining fractions of :58.2 and 1:26.3.

Remember When came first over before the half boxing Odds On Charmaine on the rail. Coming off the final turn, Odds On Charmaine, driven by Tim Tetrick, forced her way out causing Remember When to check sideways. Odds On Charmaine crossed the finish line in 1:53.4 with Numeric Hanover finishing second and Gorey Daze third.

Numeric Hanover ($5.60) is owned by John Deters and Harold Shelton, Jr.’s 2 Titans Racing Stable of Detroit, MI. The Real Artist filly, purchased for $8,000, has 11 wins in 25 starts and career earnings of $385,442.

Gorey Daze won a three filly photo in the first elimination holding off long shot Trust Me Ashley by a neck and post time favorite Remember When by a half-length in 1:54. The winner, driven by Luc Ouellette and trained by Bill Robinson, grabbed the lead from post one and set all of the pace.

"We pushed off the gate. I saw that two (Remember When) and eight (Kissed By A Fool) took back and my filly was able to hold them off," said Ouellette, who drove the Robinson-trained Million Dollar Cam to victory in the 2002 Little Brown Jug.

The winning Presidential Ball filly ($9.20) picked up her seventh win of the season in 23 starts. The place filly, Trust Me Ashley paid a Jugette record $22.20. (However, 20 minutes later Heather’s Western finished second in the second elimination and paid a "new" place record of ($22.40).

Numeric Hanover ($7.40), another Robinson-trained filly driven by Dave Palone, sprinted to the early lead to win the second elimination in 1:54.2 by one length over Heather’s Western and another length over Nells Bells.

"When Gordon’s Jin Ms took back at the start it set up the race for me," said Palone, who was injured in a race accident on September 8 at the Red Mile In Lexington, Ky. The Real Artist filly won last week’s $210,000 Nadia Lobell and has four straight victories.

Animated Art ($3.00) set a national season’s record of 1:53 to win the third elimination by 4 1/4 lengths over Jennie Fanetta and was another half-length ahead of Odds On Charmaine. Like the first two elim winners, Animated Art led from gate to wire for Michel Lachance.

"I had the best spot, the rail. We had soft fractions to the half and she was real strong at the end," said Lachance, who drove Animated Art for trainer Noel Daley. "She was very relaxed today. She has been nervous her last few starts."

Ron Jeremy sets season’s mark in Ohio Breeders Championship Two-Year-Old Colt Pace

Darby’s Edge Stable and Joseph DiScala, Jr.’s Ron Jeremy paced to a national season’s best time of 1:54 in capturing his $49,281 division of the Ohio Breeders Championship for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Wednesday afternoon (September 17) at the Delaware, Ohio Fair.

Brett Miller piloted the Nobleland Sam colt to just his second win in nine starts this year, hiking his personal bankroll to $48,373. The 1:54 clocking lowered his lifetime best by four full seconds and was the fastest mile in ’03 by a freshman pacing colt on a half-mile track.

Winter Town (David Hawk) left strongly from the rail and parked out Art’s Candy Racer (Jeff Fout) who hit the opening quarter first in a time of :27.1. However, Winter Town stayed strong on the wood and regained the lead through middle fractions of :56 and 1:24.3. Ron Jeremy made a powerful brush to the lead on the final turn, opened up five lengths on the field at the top of the stretch, then drew off to a 12 length score over Winter Town in 1:54. Up Front Ohio (Randy Tharps) grabbed the show dough, ending up 13 lengths behind the winner.

The second $49,281 division of the OBC freshman colt pace went to Brian Brown, James Koehler, William Robinson, and George Johnson’s Buckeye One with a come from behind triumph in 1:56.

David Miller was in the sulky for trainer/owner Brian Brown as the son of Park Place was victorious for the fourth time in seven lifetime starts, improving his bankroll to $53,858.

Buckeye One left strongly from post position seven, grabbing the lead at the opening panel of :28.3. Osborne’s Trick (Greg Grismore) took over the lead at the :58.2 half-mile marker, with Stockholder (Jim Pantaleano) first over in second, and Buckeye One shuffled back to third. The leaders remained in the same spots at the 1:26.3 three-quarter pole, but by the top of the stretch, Stockholder began to tire from his parked out trip. That opened up the door for Buckeye One to pull out of the pocket and set up a stretch duel with Osborne’s Trick. At the wire, it was Buckeye One getting up by a half length in 1:56. Osborne’s Trick held on for second, with My Bag Man (Mike Wilder) closing for third and Stockholder fading to fourth.

Confirmed Winner repeats in Ohio Breeders Championship Four and Five-Year-Old Senior Pace

The Zdravo Maria Stable’s Confirmed Winner took over the lead past the opening quarter and was never headed in capturing the $20,600 Ohio Breeders Championship for four and five-year-old pacers on Wednesday (September 17) at the Delaware, Ohio Fair.

With Eric Ledford in the bike for trainer Jeff Miller, the five-year-old son of Sonsam was a winner for the third time in 21 trips to the post, improving his season’s earnings to $37,200. The career winner of $200,000-plus paced the mile in a time of 1:54.1. It was his second consecutive triumph in this event, as he was a winner in 1:54.4 in the 2002 O.B.C. older pace.

Kole Pocket and Powerhouse Sahbra left strongly in this race, with the latter horse taking the lead on the outside of the track in an opening quarter of :28 flat. Confirmed Winner, who got away fourth, came off the wood on the second turn and was in command as the field reached the half-mile marker in :56.4. From there it was all Confirmed Winner as he took the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:25.2 and reached the wire on top in 1:54.1. Standforsomething (Ron Pierce) finished second, one length behind the winner, while Crown Time Big Ben (Chip Noble) was third.