It was a Breeders Crown rivalry renewed on Thursday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia as the first three finishers of last year's two-year-old filly pace made their sophomore debuts in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at the Chester oval, with each of the four events going for a purse of roughly $40,000.
The first division featured the marquee match-up between Someomensomewhere (2016 Breeders Crown winner) and Agent Q (2016 Breeders Crown runner-up). It was Agent Q (Dave Miller) getting the first call off the wings, with Someomensomewhere settling into fourth. Agent Q released Ron Burke trainee Sapphire Beach (Yannick Gingras) to sit pocket, while Someomensomewhere abandoned her pylon spot to grind first-over. As the field departed three-quarters, Sapphire Beach carried Agent Q to the passing lane, where she exploded down the stretch to win by a length, stopping the clock in 1:52.1. The fractions were :27, :56, and 1:24. The overall clocking was just one-fifth of a second off of her lifetime best. Sapphire Breeze held third.
Agent Q is owned by Martin Scharf, Rochetti Cassar Racing, and Bob Muscara, and is trained by Aaron Lambert.
Dan Patch and O'Brien Award winner Idyllic Beach (Yannick Gingras) made her sophomore debut a winning one for the conglomerate of Takter, Fielding, Brixton Medical, and Katz. The third-place finisher in last year's Breeders Crown was able to hold off a determined upset bid from V String (Andy McCarthy), who surged off cover to take the lead in the stretch. Idyllic Beach sat pocket behind the speed of Miss Jones (Corey Callahan), who barely carried the race favourite to the passing lane. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere rallied up the pylons to win by a length in the end, stopping the timer in 1:52.3. She is trained by Jimmy Takter.
In other Sire Stakes action, Mike Hall trainee Watch What You Say won her fourth straight to stay undefeated on the season. The daughter of Well Said was able to complete a long, uncovered grind to cross the wire first in a time of 1:54.1, a new lifetime mark. She is owned by CTC Stables, Bradley Grant, and Howard Taylor. She was driven by Brett Miller.
Nifty Norman trainee Inverse Hanover rallied off of cover to take the final division in 1:53.4. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere remained perfect in three starts on the year for owners White Birch Farm and the Pinske Stables. Hall of Famer Dave Miller drove.
(with files from Harrah's Philadelphia)