Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Muscle Chips & Chocolatier Win Hanover Stakes

July 26, 2005

A pair of Hanover stakes for freshmen trotters was contested Tuesday night at Balmoral Park, one for each gender, set as the fifth & ninth events on the evening's card.

Muscle Chips captured the $51,000 Hanover Stake for trotting fillies in 2:00.1 with trainer Charlie Norris in the sulky. The daughter by Muscles Yankee scored her first career start by nearly four lengths for owners Carrie Norris and Neal Goldman of Pennsylvania. Lantern's Joy, part of a three-horse entry by trainer Ivan Sugg, finished second with JD Sugg in the bike, while Faithful Vicky was third with trainer Doug Hamilton driving.

Muscle Chips made her debut after winning a pair of qualifiers at The Meadows, each in 2:01.4.

Chocolatier captured the $55,000 Hanover for freshman trotting colts and geldings easily in 1:59.2 in wire-to-wire fashion for driver D. R. Ackerman. Chocolatier is a son of Credit Winner, the third foal of the dam Maple Frosting, whose first foal was Sugar Trader (1:53.4, $730,998), winner of the 2003 Yonkers Trot and runner-up in the $1 million Hambletonian that same season. Cunning was second by three lengths for driver Tim Tetrick, while Kid Wizard raced evenly for Mark O'Mara to snag third place honors.

The victory came in only the second lifetime start for Chocolatier, who is owned by the Doug Ackerman Stables of LaPorte, Indiana.