Pikachu Hanover emerged victorious in the highly anticipated $24,000 conditioned trot event at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday (19th February) evening after a challenging journey to the finish line.
Under the skilful guidance of James MacDonald, the talented steed trained by Gregg McNair began the race in sixth position off the starting car, navigating through the initial phase in a swift :27.3. MacDonald strategically manoeuvred Pikachu Hanover to the outer track approaching the halfway mark in :57, although they found themselves in seventh place momentarily.
Demonstrating remarkable prowess, Pikachu Hanover gradually advanced to sixth place by the three-quarter mark, steadily closing in on the frontrunner, Perfetto, expertly steered by Dagfin Henriksen.
Displaying an impressive burst of speed, the McNair-trained horse surged into third place during the final turn and unleashed a powerful sprint in the home stretch, clocking a final panel time of :27.3. Eventually, Pikachu Hanover clinched victory by a length in a remarkable time of 1:54.1, leaving Perfetto and Locatelli, ridden by Chris Christoforou, in his wake.
Owned by High Stakes Stable Inc., the 10-year-old bay gelding boasts an illustrious career record of 38 wins from 139 starts. Descending from the lineage of Andover Hall and the Donerail mare Playwood, Pikachu Hanover has amassed total prize money of $608,389. Despite starting as the third choice with odds of 4-1, he delivered an outstanding performance, rewarding his backers with a payout of $10.10 for a win.