Gigi Hanover and Royal Filly Take New York Sire Stakes at Monticello

August 8, 2023

Mark MacDonald wins three

 Monticello, N.Y. – On Monday, August 7, Gigi Hanover and Royal Filly easily dispatched a field of their contemporaries in the New York Sire Stakes event at Monticello for three-year-old trotting fillies. Mark MacDonald drove both winners and steered Five Fish Species to a win in the Excelsior Stakes to bag a driving triple on the card.

The first heat, worth $60,300, had a full field of eight starters. Two of the fillies went off stride before the gate left. On The House (S. Svanstedt) left quickly and got the lead. Gigi Hanover, the 2/5 favorite, pulled out of the two-hole before the first panel to grab the lead and control her own destiny. She hit the opening panel in 30.1 and had three lengths on the pack at the half in a soft 59.4. At the 5/8 marker, Jeff Gregory, driving Canterbury Hanover, was the first to pull and the tempo quickened in 1:29. Gigi Hanover strolled home a length winner in 1:57.3 -$2.90. Canterbury Hanover was second and stablemate On The House came in third. For Gigi Hanover, it was her second win on the year. The daughter of Chapter Seven – Glad All Over is trained by Ake Svanstedt. She is owned by Melby Gard Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida.

The fillies in the second division looked like two-year-olds. One filly made a miscue going to the gate and two others broke stride when the gate left. Jeans Action got away clean and made the front first with Royal Filly in the pocket, but only briefly as she took command before the first quarter in 29.2. and held control at 59. Down the backside, she began to open up on the field as she was up by five at the next stanza in 1:28.2. The easygoing 1/9 favorite threw down a 28.3 last panel to win by ten lengths for Tyler Buter. Destiny’s Darling (J. Stratton) was second, followed by Midwind Success (M. Miller), who took the show position. Royal Filly, the Chapter Seven – Swinging Royalty lass, is owned by Crawford Farms and is trained by Tony Alagna. The win pushed her seasonal earnings to $168,000; she has now won two consecutive Sire Stakes.

Excelsior action saw Five Fish Species notch her fourth win on the year with a 1:58 score for trainer Megan Scran with a great steer from Mark MacDonald. Winkys Wow (J. Gregory) was second, followed by Serendipity (M. Miller).

The second heat saw Bourbon On Ice cut the mile; Seven Bridges Road followed a second behind In Italian, but in the last turn, motored home deep in the stretch to win in 1:59.4.

Daughters of Chapter Seven swept all four divisions. Sire Stakes action returns next Monday, August 14 at 12:10 p.m., when two-year-old trotting fillies take center stage.

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