Pompano Park’s $12,000 Open Handicap went, in a mild upset, to the Nova Scotia-owned pacer Drachan Hanover and driver John MacDonald on Sunday night (February 19).

This five-year-old son of Jeremes Jet used his rail post to perfection by carding front end panels of :26.1, :54.4 and 1:22.3 before a :27.4 finale held off the late furious rally by Rockys Z Tam, handled by Ricky Macomber Jr., by a neck in 1:50.2.

First Of Itskind, with Tom Jackson in the bike, closed fastest of all (:27.2) to finish third, two lengths away, while Mystic Desire finished fourth.

The 3-5 toteboard favourite, Panocchio, made a mild bid on the backstretch but could only manage to pick up the minor award in the septet of classy pacers.

After the race, MacDonald related, “[Drachan Hanover] raced well last week after missing one and I thought he’d be tighter tonight so I sent him and let him do his thing. He’s won before on the front end, so this mile didn’t surprise me. He beat a very classy field.”

Trained by Marcel Barrieau for Nova Scotia owners Lloyd Maclean of Inverness and Kenneth Rankin of Port Morien, Drachan Hanover won for the initial time this semester and notched his 13th win lifetime in 56 starts, vaulting his earnings to $425,722.

As the third choice at 4-1, Drachan Hanover paid $10.80 to win.

(Standardbred Canada)