Betterthancheddar rallies to win Cane Pace

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - Betterthancheddar rallied to win the Cane Pace, beating Townslight Hanover by a neck at Pocono Downs on Saturday night in the first jewel of the pacing triple crown.

Driven by Yannick Gingras, Betterthancheddar paced a mile in 1:49.2 in the $342,875 race for his fifth victory in 11 starts this year. Powerful Mist was third, followed by Shadyshark Hanover.

Betterthancheddar is owned by Steve Calhoun and trainer Casie Coleman's West Wins Stable.

The race was to be run at Tioga Downs in upstate New York, but was moved to Pocono Downs because of flooding. The other triple-crown races are the Little Brown Jug (Sept. 22) and Messenger Stakes (Nov. 12).

Betterthancheddar, sent off at 4-1 from post seven, went to the lead in the opening quarter-mile, which he reached in 25.4. He yielded the front to Shadyshark Hanover as the field hit the half-mile point in 53.2.

Roll With Joe, the 3-5 favorite, moved three wide on the backstretch and challenged Shadyshark Hanover for the lead entering the final turn, but was unable to sustain the charge as the leader reached three-quarters in 1:20.4.

As the horses reached the stretch, Betterthancheddar burst inside Shadyshark Hanover and took the lead, then held off Townslight Hanover and driver Andrew McCarthy.

Ten horses have won the triple crown, most recently No Pan Intended in 2003.