Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two-year-old pacing fillies, many of whom had raced at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania last Sunday in a Pennsylvania All-Stars event, came right back in seven days to contest $238,266 offered over three PA Sire Stakes divisions and five PA Stallion Series section in their group’s second preliminary leg.
And for those lamenting the growing importance of front-end speed in modern harness racing – this was a card for you. Only one stakes horse in the eight added-money races led at both the three-quarters and the wire, and only two ahead at the top of the stretch held sway all the way home. Also, every race save one was decided by a half-length or less.
All three Sire Stakes events were held over a track rerated from “sloppy” during an early rainstorm to “good” by midcard. The fastest division went in 1:51.3, not a season’s record (but curiously faster than any male has paced on a 5/8-mile track so far), and it was won by the Sweet Lou – Benear miss I’m A Lou Lou, who sat a two-hole trip, was the only stakes winner to take over the lead on the far turn (she came her back half in :55.2), then held of flying Imagine Heaven (own last half :55) by half a length while breaking her maiden. Tim Tetrick guided the winner for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing LLC, Knox Services Inc., Lawrence Karr, and Phillip Collura.
The only horse in either grouping to post a second win in her section was Bahama Momma (Tall Dark Stranger – Idyllic Beach), whose entire career consists of “Sire Stakes win” / “Sire Stakes win.” Coming her own back numbers in :55.2 - :27.3 in the 1:52 mile ( a tick off her first victory), Bahama Momma caught another first leg winner, Loua Dipa, by a head for trainer-driver Joe Bongiorno and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing.
The third PaSS winner was the Captaintreacherous – Tica Hanover filly Big Weekend, who had to back out of a collapsing pocket and was fourth at the stretch call, but still could close in :27.2 to chase down Call Me Angelita by a head while reducing her mark to 1:52.3. An All-Stars winner in her last start, Big Weekend was driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Travis Alexander and Fiddler’s Creek Stables.
The first two Stallion Series races were raced over a “sloppy” surface, which quickly bounced back to “good” status, which it held the rest of the card; we indicate the sloppy track clockings.
All five Stallion Series winners broke their maidens in their victories, three of them first-time starters. The fastest StS winner, Lyons I Wanna Chip (Stay Hungry – Zellweger Bluechip), who had experience, was also the only stakes-winning filly to successfully use engine tactics, with :55.3 - :27.2 speed enough in the 1:53.1 mile to defeat debutante Fabulous Hanover (own back half :54.4 raw) by a neck. The distaff specialist pairing of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr. got the job done for Threelyonsracing.
The father-son team of trainer Chris and driver Patrick Ryder scored with two StS winners, both first-time starters: the Bettor’s Wish – It Can Happen filly Bettor Be A Star, who won in 1:53.3 for the Ryder Stable while being both the biggest longshot ($29.40) and the “most decisive” winner, 1¼ lengths, and also the Captaintreacherous – Dream Outloud baby Need You Now, a head ahead of Funky Billie Chin in 1:54.4(sy) for Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki.
The other Stallion Series winners were yet another debutante, JK Fierce Lady (Captaintreacherous – JK First Lady), winner by a head over Lovebug Hanover in 1:54.1 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nancy Takter, and 3 Brothers Stable, and Getting Hungry (Stay Hungry – Striking Terror), a 1:53.3(sy) winner for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and Fiddler’s Creek Stables.
Trainer Travis Alexander and sire Captaintreacherous each were successful three times in the eight stakes races: Alexander in a Sire Stake, Stallion Series race, and an overnight, and Captaintreacherous’s three-bagger including a PaSS win and two StS victories. (If we put in all the doubles, this already-long story might be interminable.)
Monday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono will be topped by a $25,000 fast-class pace for distaffs; the local racing week closes out on Tuesday with another 1 p.m. program. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two-year-old pacing fillies, many of whom had raced at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania last Sunday in a Pennsylvania All-Stars event, came right back in seven days to contest $238,266 offered over three PA Sire Stakes divisions and five PA Stallion Series section in their group’s second preliminary leg.
And for those lamenting the growing importance of front-end speed in modern harness racing – this was a card for you. Only one stakes horse in the eight added-money races led at both the three-quarters and the wire, and only two ahead at the top of the stretch held sway all the way home. Also, every race save one was decided by a half-length or less.
All three Sire Stakes events were held over a track rerated from “sloppy” during an early rainstorm to “good” by midcard. The fastest division went in 1:51.3, not a season’s record (but curiously faster than any male has paced on a 5/8-mile track so far), and it was won by the Sweet Lou – Benear miss I’m A Lou Lou, who sat a two-hole trip, was the only stakes winner to take over the lead on the far turn (she came her back half in :55.2), then held of flying Imagine Heaven (own last half :55) by half a length while breaking her maiden. Tim Tetrick guided the winner for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing LLC, Knox Services Inc., Lawrence Karr, and Phillip Collura.
The only horse in either grouping to post a second win in her section was Bahama Momma (Tall Dark Stranger – Idyllic Beach), whose entire career consists of “Sire Stakes win” / “Sire Stakes win.” Coming her own back numbers in :55.2 - :27.3 in the 1:52 mile ( a tick off her first victory), Bahama Momma caught another first leg winner, Loua Dipa, by a head for trainer-driver Joe Bongiorno and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing.
The third PaSS winner was the Captaintreacherous – Tica Hanover filly Big Weekend, who had to back out of a collapsing pocket and was fourth at the stretch call, but still could close in :27.2 to chase down Call Me Angelita by a head while reducing her mark to 1:52.3. An All-Stars winner in her last start, Big Weekend was driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Travis Alexander and Fiddler’s Creek Stables.
The first two Stallion Series races were raced over a “sloppy” surface, which quickly bounced back to “good” status, which it held the rest of the card; we indicate the sloppy track clockings.
All five Stallion Series winners broke their maidens in their victories, three of them first-time starters. The fastest StS winner, Lyons I Wanna Chip (Stay Hungry – Zellweger Bluechip), who had experience, was also the only stakes-winning filly to successfully use engine tactics, with :55.3 - :27.2 speed enough in the 1:53.1 mile to defeat debutante Fabulous Hanover (own back half :54.4 raw) by a neck. The distaff specialist pairing of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr. got the job done for Threelyonsracing.
The father-son team of trainer Chris and driver Patrick Ryder scored with two StS winners, both first-time starters: the Bettor’s Wish – It Can Happen filly Bettor Be A Star, who won in 1:53.3 for the Ryder Stable while being both the biggest longshot ($29.40) and the “most decisive” winner, 1¼ lengths, and also the Captaintreacherous – Dream Outloud baby Need You Now, a head ahead of Funky Billie Chin in 1:54.4(sy) for Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki.
The other Stallion Series winners were yet another debutante, JK Fierce Lady (Captaintreacherous – JK First Lady), winner by a head over Lovebug Hanover in 1:54.1 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nancy Takter, and 3 Brothers Stable, and Getting Hungry (Stay Hungry – Striking Terror), a 1:53.3(sy) winner for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and Fiddler’s Creek Stables.
Trainer Travis Alexander and sire Captaintreacherous each were successful three times in the eight stakes races: Alexander in a Sire Stake, Stallion Series race, and an overnight, and Captaintreacherous’s three-bagger including a PaSS win and two StS victories. (If we put in all the doubles, this already-long story might be interminable.)
Monday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono will be topped by a $25,000 fast-class pace for distaffs; the local racing week closes out on Tuesday with another 1 p.m. program. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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