Trainer Tony Alagna accounted for two of the three winners in the $168,480 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday, Aug. 11 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
First up was Treacherous Reign, who started her season with four straight wins including the Fan Hanover final on June 15 but had not won in four starts after that victory. Driver Dexter Dunn put the Captaintreacherous filly on the lead before the :27 quarter, posted midrace splits of :55.4 and 1:22.3, then guided her home in :27.1; two lengths clear of pocket-sitting Beach Bar in 1:49.4. The winner of $482,797 is conditioned by Alagna for Alagna Racing LLC, Big Als Stables, Let It Ride Stables Inc., and Mr. Dana Parham.
Alagna got his second Sire Stakes win with another daughter of Captaintreacherous: Tall Drink Hanover, who had beaten both of the other PASS winners in the Shady Daisy Pace at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. Tall Drink Hanover and driver Andrew McCarthy pressed to the lead passing the :27 quarter, got a short rest while reaching the half in :56.1.
Tall Drink Hanover proceeded to throw a pair of :27.3 back quarters at her opponents, which put her one-and-a-half lengths ahead on second-place Rockin Philly at the wire and two-and-a-half lengths better than Philly Hanover, previously the only double Sire Stakes winner, in third. Tall Drink Hanover has now amassed $545,677 and has won three straight for Alagna Racing LLC, Marvin Katz, and Riverview Racing LLC, and she also took a mark of 1:50.2 with the victory.
Warrawee Ubeaut also had a hot start to her 2019, with four victories in her first five starts including a PASS division in the first prelim, but like Treacherous Reign she came into Sunday having not won in four straight races. Yannick Gingras got the daughter of Sweet Lou away second behind Stonebridge Soul before the :26.2 quarter, then moved her to command before the :55 half.
Warrawee Ubeaut got a breather to the 1:23.3 three-quarters, then needed to turn on the afterburners with Stonebridge Soul on her back. She responded with a :26.2 last quarter which kept the pocket-sitter one-and-a-half lengths in arrears to the wire. The Ron Burke-trained winner of $917,174 paced a 1:50 mile for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phil Collura, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
Fastest of four winners in the $20,000 divisions of the Stallion Series was the Sweet Lou filly Sweet Cherry, who left quickly from post 7 for driver Tim Tetrick and set the pace, then stepped home in :55.1 to earn a mark of 1:51.3 two lengths ahead of A Beach Cowgirl. Jim King Jr. trains the winner for Tim Tetrick LLC and Jo Ann Looney-King.
The Sweet Lou sophomore Alkippe posted her second Stallion Series win of the campaign when she shot up the Pocono Pike to post a 1:54.4 win, catching favoured pacesetter Tees Sweet Ryde by a half length for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Linda Toscano and Enviro Stables LTD.
Andrew McCarthy joined Gingras as a winning driver in both the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series when JK Mardi Says also took her second Stallion Series win, with the Somebeachsomewhere filly coming off cover to reduce her mark to 1:51.4. JK Mardi Says finished two-and-three-quarter lengths clear of What A Fox in winning for trainer Brett Pelling and owner David McDuffee.
In the final Stallion Series section, Annie Hill looked like she was going to be the only three-time winner in the PA-sired competitions when she came up the inside from the pocket to grab the stretch lead. But Marcus Miller swung the Captaintreacherous filly Michelons Filly wide for the drive, and that one closed furiously to get past Annie Hill by a half-length. Michelons Filly, who won for the first time this season, also reduced her mark by winning in 1:51.4 for trainer Erv Miller and owner-namesake Ronald Michelon, partner with Michael Anderson.
(with files from PHHA/Pocono)