Winners Over trotters, racing for a purse of $7,200, were featured on Friday night at Cal Expo, on which Giles L S Hanover picked them up and laid them down
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Prior to starting from his assigned post one in the field of seven, pilot Steve Wiseman gave himself a better chance than his 12-1 morning line despite his charge being winless on 16 seasonal starts.
"The horse always tries his hardest," stated Wiseman of Giles L S Hanover. "I thought if I got away close and the fractions were honest that I had a shot."
Coming away fourth into a snappy :28.1 opening quarter, was this good for the seven year-old?
"It didn't hurt at all. I liked seeing a little fast pace early because it keeps the tempo going, plus he likes fast fractions."
With the pacesetting Putoneonnetformom (James Kennedy) getting a :30 second quarter breather, combined with a parked from the start Broadway Victory (John McKeon Jr.) alongside of Wiseman, things weren't going quite as well.
"I was a little concerned there because Broadway Victory was just sitting there next to me and going nowhere. I was just hoping that Scotty [Cisco] would pull with Dudis Angel and I'd be able to follow them and get out."
Locked in on the final turn while Putoneonnetformom opened up at the five-eighths mile station, Wiseman had to be realistic.
"When Putoneonnetformom opened up, I thought at that point that the race was for second. As a result I was just hoping I could salvage second."
Sliding to second-over position at the same time Putoneonnetformom, who was under a hold, reached the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:28, Wiseman at least thought his chances for the place honours were better.
"At that point with me now free, I knew I had a decent shot to get second."
Moving three-wide with 3/16ths of a mile to go and gaining at the seven-eighths mile marker, Wiseman had good reason to increase his chances.
"It wasn't until inside the seven-eighths that I thought I had a good shot of catching Putoneonnetformom because it looked like he was coming back to me. From that point on my horse was responding to everything I was doing, which was yelling and urging a little. He kept to his task and was very strong right through the wire."
Flying into the lead with less than a sixteenth of a mile to go and hardly being urged, the gelding scored ($17.20) by one and a quarter lengths. Owned by Marty Garey and Hank Wieseneck in partnership with trainer Bob Johnson, Giles L S Hanover stopped the timer at 1:57.3, a lifetime best. Shelby County (Rocky Stidham) finished in second, and Putoneonnetformom finished a half of one length farther back in third.
“He raced awesome for his first victory of the year. You couldn't ask for a better race to win than the Jim Grundy Memorial. I'm very grateful to Bob Johnson and his owners for letting me drive him all year," concluded Wiseman.
Winners Over pacers, racing for a purse of $6,800, were also spotlighted on the card, on which Albion, despite being assigned post 10 in a field of six, won his fourth straight.
Leaving for driver Luke Plano and getting a seat fifth 3/16ths of a mile plus past the start into a :27.2 first-quarter, Plano had his pacer moving past the quarter-pole, was three-wide well past the 5/16ths mile marker, was first-over past the three-eighths, then made the lead to the 7/16ths mile pole into a :56.3 opening half-mile.
Getting a soft :29.2 third-quarter into a 1:26 three-quarters, Albion opened up his lead at the head of the lane, then expanded it with an eighth of a mile to go with no chance of getting caught. Owned by Dan Tullio and James Mascola in partnership with trainer Matias Ruiz, the six-year-old won ($2.60) by two lengths in 1:54.2.
The victory for the gelding was his 11th on the season, his 21st in the last two years, and his 28th triumph overall. Cycle Power (Steve Wiseman) was a nice second, and Split Ticket (Scott Cisco) finished two and a quarter lengths farther back in third.
For driver Luke Plano, the victory was the second of five winners on the night. Also on the 15-race card, driver Dave Siegel had a grand-slam.
(Cal Expo)