Smokinmombo and Bright Baby Blues each captured a division of Tuesday’s Meadow Bright, a $188,066 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for three-year-old filly trotters at The Meadows, and each did it handily on the front end.
Already a winner in PASS action this year, Smokinmombo pocketed Sarcy, the 4-5 favourite, and had plenty left in the lane after a comfortable :58-second half to defeat her by two lengths in 1:54.3, with Speak To Me third.
Winning driver Aaron Merriman indicated that taking the point with the daughter of Explosive Matter-Horizontal Mombo wasn’t necessarily his game plan.
“I do believe she’s better out of a hole because she’s smaller,” Merriman said. “When you move her out of a hole, she just sprints. She has a great attitude. But she was absolutely in hand. She’s just getting better and better.”
Chris Beaver trains Smokinmombo, who extended her career bankroll to $195,558, and owns with Synerco Ventures and James Gallagher.
Bright Baby Blues had endured a frustrating season — no wins in six starts despite performing well — but her disappointment ended when she trotted strongly through a brief downpour and scored in 1:56 for David Miller, trainer Bob Stewart and owners Bluestone Farms and Fredericka Caldwell. Meadowbranch Wendy was second, while Lilu Hanover earned show.
“It’s a tough division anymore,” Stewart said of the daughter of Andover Hall-Bar Slide, who is eligible for the Hambletonian Oaks. “She trotted in 1:53 at the Meadowlands, and that wasn’t enough. But she’s a very nice filly. I don’t think she’s reached her potential yet. It was good to get an easy race into her. I don’t know if we’ll go to the Oaks or not. The owners will make that decision.”
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Kandian Klub pulled off a 9-1 upset for Mike Wilder when she rallied to nail Cowgirl Hall in the stretch and down her by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3. Bessie completed the ticket.
Ron Burke conditions Kandian Klub, a six-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur-KT Dee Dee who now boasts $219,266 in lifetime earnings, for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. It was one of four wins for Burke on the 15-race program.
Wednesday’s card at The Meadows features two events for sophomore colt and gelding trotters — The Hickory Smoke, a $189,616 PASS stake, and an $80,000 PA Stallion Series stake. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)