Headline Hanover - 3FP
bay filly, by Big Towner
Owners
Robert H. Grand Holdings
The trainer puts all of his time and effort into seeing that the owner gets what he wants -- to stand proudly in the winners circle next to a champion. Since horse training is not an exact science, a long-lasting partnership between an owner and trainer is becoming increasingly rare. An exemplary one exists between Bob Grand and Stew Firlotte. Part of the reason it has flourished, though, is because of the Ontario Jockey Club’s all-time leading driver Doug Brown.
Grand has been in the business close to 20 years and first visited the Crown winner circle as part-owner of the great Town Pro. Firlotte was the first to condition a pacing filly to repeat Crown wins with Town Pro, and claims the distinction of training the last pacing Triple Crown winner, Ralph Hanover.
Firlotte scored an upset Crown victory for Grand in 1991 with Digger Almahurst and Doug Brown. His biggest surprise was to come in 1995 when a lightly raced filly named Headline Hanover took on the divisional favorite and aptly-named She’s A Great Lady in the three-year-old filly Crown event at their home track of Woodbine.
So confident of She’s A Great Lady’s ability over her peers were Lee and Linda DeVisser that a supplement of $45,000 did not deter them. They watched their filly make easy work of an elimination heat held the week prior to the Crown. A foot injury bothered her, but trainer Joe Holloway was sure that in a week’s time it would be forgotten. The DeVissers were hoping for a Breeders Crown double when combined with their sophomore star Jenna’s Beach Boy, racing later that same evening.
Trainer | Driver
Stew Firlotte | Doug Brown
She’s A Great Lady racked up wins in the Nadia Lobell final, Fan Hanover and Mistletoe Shalee. Headline Hanover had the fewest starts in the assembled field, with nine. A virus in early July necessitated a long vacation, and upon her return to the races in late September she got sharper each week, though she could not close a three-length gap separating her and She’s A Great Lady in their Crown elimination.
Driver Doug Brown treats the Ontario Jockey Club circuit as a private fiefdom. Since 1981 he has led the drivers standings, and he was about to give another example of his particular brand of driving expertise. Despite She’s A Great Lady paying 15 cents on the dollar, Brown cannon-balled Headline Hanover to the lead from the middle of the pack almost before the starting gate had pulled away. Strong headwinds doubled the effort “Headline” put into the :27.3 first quarter, and once ensconced on the front end Brown faced an immediate challenge from Paul MacDonell with You’re Killing Me. Armbro Nest and Teen Talk were then in good position against the rail as the two fillies battled for the front, but all eyes were searching for John Campbell, driving She’s A Great Lady, who still had not emerged from the nine slot to within striking position.
At the three-quarter pole in a decent 1:25, Brown smartly put a two-length cushion between Headline Hanover and the rest of the field. A worn-out You’re Killing Me had begun to retreat, and the threat now came from the pocketsitters, Armbro Nest and Teen Talk. Finally Campbell launched a three-wide assault with She’s A Great Lady, but the race was essentially over. The big filly did not motor by her competitors in her normal fashion.
Brown had a comfortable two-length margin at the wire, the 1:55 mile respectable given the 35 degree temperature. Headline Hanover validated the Firlotte-Grand partnership again, giving them a fourth Breeders Crown credit.
Purse $467,500
Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto, ON - November 3, 1995
Extras
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