Ervin Hanover rolls to record in Brower; Ryder mares one-two in Perfect Sting

A mid-race give-and-go proved the winning strategy for Pollack Racing’s Ervin Hanover, who powered to a 1:46.3 score — the fastest mile ever by an older male pacer at the Meadowlands — in the Grade 3 $168,100 Dave Brower Memorial on Saturday (July 4).

Ervin Hanover and driver Dexter Dunn were unhurried in the race’s early stages, stalking from fourth as Crack Shot (driven by Doug McNair) and Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras) tussled through a :26.1 first quarter. Reaching the backstretch, Bythemissal yielded control to Crack Shot, and Ervin Hanover continued up to a brief lead off Crack Shot’s cover before ceding control to Ken Hanover (Tim Tetrick) just past the :53.2 half.

On the far turn, Ken Hanover and Ervin Hanover continued one-two as Oakwood Ardan IR (James MacDonald) attempted in vain to gain ground on the outside through a punishing :26.2 third quarter. Dunn popped the pocket with Ervin Hanover off the corner for home, and the 6-year-old Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace entire struck the front in mid-stretch and drew off on his own to win by 2 lengths.

Oakwood Ardan IR stayed on well in the breeze to save second; Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) lunged off Oakwood Ardan IR’s cover to narrowly miss the runner-up spot. Ken Hanover faded late after giving way and finished fourth.

“He’s just in top form; I think he’s as good as he’s ever been,” said trainer Dave Menary of Ervin Hanover, who recorded his first-ever Meadowlands win after failing to convert in his first eight starts over the one-mile oval. “Hopefully his next eight starts (at the Meadowlands) are better than his last eight starts.”

Now three-for-three this season after also winning an Open Pace and the Grade 3 Mohawk Gold Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Ervin Hanover has won 29 of his 78 career starts and earned $1,440,033 to date.

“I think he’s as sharp as he’s ever been,” continued Menary. “We tried to start him a little later and keep the traveling down (this season) until now, and so far it’s paid off.”

Ervin Hanover’s 1:46.3 mile knocked a fifth of a second off the previous track record for older pacing horses of 1:46.4, which Catch The Fire had set in 2022.

As the 4-5 public choice, Ervin Hanover paid $3.60 to win.

In the $153,200 Grade 3 Perfect Sting, for pacing mares, Miki And Minnie sustained a long first-over grind to upend Chris Ryder stablemate and 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh in a thrilling stretch duel and lower her lifetime mark to 1:48 amid a sudden downpour.

James MacDonald activated Miki And Minnie out of midfield up the backstretch not long after Twin B Joe Fresh (Dunn) brushed from fourth to first well after a :26.2 first quarter, and the 4-year-old Always B Miki-That’s The Ticket mare steadily ground forward to push the pace after a :53.4 half. The Ryder trainees matched strides to three-quarters in 1:21.1 and left their tiring pocket foe Prolific Fire (McNair) in their wake through the stretch. Twin B Joe Fresh fought gamely, but Miki And Minnie found enough to strike the front in the final yards of a :26.4 final-quarter duel and prevail by a hard-earned neck. Unreasonable (Todd McCarthy) emerged out of traffic in upper stretch and rallied to nab Louies Girl N (Bartlett) for third, another 2-3/4 lengths behind.

“I didn’t know what to think,” said Ryder of the duel between his distaff dynamos. “Miki And Minnie always finds the wire; she’s not the quickest horse, but she can go a mile. It was a great stretch battle and one had to get there first, but it didn’t surprise me that Miki And Minnie got there first. They’re two terrific mares; they’re beautiful to have.”

Now a 23-time winner from 31 starts with $2,184,230 in the bank for the partnership of Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz, Miki And Minnie has won four of five races this season, including the Grade 1 Roses Are Red. Sent off the twos-on favorite, Miki And Minnie paid $3 to win.