In an amazing night of racing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Friday evening, two world records were established in two of the seven divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings
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Caviar Crown, trained by Kris Rickert and driven by Dave Palone, won the opening division of the sire stakes in a world-record time of 1:53.1 for a three-year-old trotting colt over a five-eighths mile oval. Leaving from the two hole, Palone and Caviar Crown sat second in the pocket behind 1-9 favorite No. 4 Top Chef with David Miller in the sulky.
Top Chef took the seven-horse field to the opening stanza in :27.3, half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.4. Top Chef and Caviar Crown battled coming down the stretch before Cavair Crown stopped the timer in the world-record time with Top Chef second and Cesar A Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) third.
Caviar Crown, owned by Dale B. Wareham of Fredonia, Pennsylvania, was winning for the second time in four starts this season.
Several races later in the sixth of seven divisions carrying purses of $35,000-plus and $36,000-plus, it was Shermans Mountain (Jim Morrill Jr.) establishing another world and track mark for three-year-old trotting geldings, stopping the timer in 1:53.3.
Chris Oakes, one of the leading trainers at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, trains Sherman Mountain, now a winner of three straight Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races.
Shermans Mountain has won six of seven starts in 2009 with one second-place finish. Triumphant Caviar (Palone) was second to Shermans Mountain with Shibboleth Hanover (Mike Simons) third.
Winners of the other sire stakes divisions were Broadway Bistro (Tetrick), 1:54.3, Tagyoureit Hanover (Howard Parker), 1:55.1, Explosive Matter (Ron Pierce), 1:54.2, Salutation Hanover (Morrill Jr.), 1:55.1, and Even Better Odds (Tetrick), 1:55.2.
In addition to the world records, Farasyoucansee became the second fastest pacer ever at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in winning a non-winners of $11,500 in last four starts with a time of 1:48.4. Only the great Shadow Play has ever gone faster at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack and that win was in 1:48.2, a world mark for a three-year-old pacing colt.
Morrill Jr. was in the bike with Farasyoucansee. This five-year-old gelding is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and has now won six of eight starts in 2009.
(Pocono Downs)