Six divisions of two-year-old pacing fillies went to the post in the second leg of their Pennsylvania Stallion Series competition Monday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with some of the winners showing talent that may stand them in good stead should they choose to upgrade to the sire stakes level.
David Miller guided the last three winners in the Stallion Series competition, including the only winner in the first two legs and the fastest winner of the night.
The leader of this grouping right now, at least on Championship points, is the Somebeachsomewhere–Sarandon Blue Chip filly Margret Hill, who took a new mark of 1:53.3. Despite a 26-day layoff, Miller brushed his pacer to the lead past the 3/8, and she then showed her gameness in the back fractions of :56.3 – :28, holding off Rock N Mcroll to her right by a half-length, with Unspoken Promise to her left another neck back in third.
Brian Brown conditions the 3-for-3 filly for owner Tom Hill, and that braintrust have an interesting position to mull over – stay in the Stallion Series, do well, and be one of the favourites for the Championship, or make a late start to the Sire stakes and try to get enough points to make that much-more-lucrative Championship, with the possible peril of losing the Stallion Series place.
Fastest of the StS winners was the Captaintreacherous–Musicale Hanover baby May Bride Hanover, who froze the timer in 1:52.3 while taking her first win. May Bride Hanover had shown fast last quarters from far-back positioning in all her lines before this event, but she was much more involved in the forward proceedings here, making the lead, yielding, coming out at the 5/8 and dashing right on by to the three-quarter pole, and enjoying a 4-1/4 length gap over her nearest opposition at the finish. The Nifty Norman-trained freshman filly is owned by the Pinske Stables and David Hoese.
The other winner for David Miller was the Sweet Lou–Ram Rocker distaff Skater Chick, who overcame the tough tuck-then-first-over trip, grinding down favoured Sweet Cherry in back fractions of :56.2 – :28 to be 1-1/4 lengths separated from that foe at the end of the mile in 1:53.3, a new mark. Mark Harder trains the winner of two straight for Donald Lindsey, Paul Kleinpaste and Garth Bechtel.
If you looked up quickly at the wire of the first two StS races, you might think the same driver won both, but it was the drivers with the similar colours, Corey Callahan and Tim Tetrick, visiting Victory Lane.
Callahan was first with the Somebeachsomewhere–Limestone Cowgirl miss A Beach Cowgirl, who went right out to the lead and came home in :28.1 to win by 1-3/4 lengths while taking a maiden mark of 1:54.3. Trainer Brett Bittle is the co-owner of the winner with E. Dan Bittle and the Charles Kellers III and IV.
Another daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, out of the mare Tulu Hanover, the Tetrick-guided Trillions Hanover, yielded to sit a pocket trip to the 10-cent favourite Darn Tootn Hanover, then outrushed that rival home into a :27.3 last quarter to post a 1-1/4 length upset in a new best of 1:54.1. A 1:55 winner against elder stock at Philly, Trillions Hanover is trained by Tom Fanning for Fanning Racing LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and J L Benson Stables Inc.
Simon Allard has shown a flair for the dramatic when guiding stakes fillies – he was behind Highland Dynamite when that sophomore trotter paid $250.80, top price at Pocono this year, in an All-Stars event in June – and here he lit up the board with 16-1 shot Sweet Sissy Lou, a Sweet Lou–Hard To Desire filly, with whom he sat in the pocket then brushed late to post a 2-3/4 length victory for her first win in 1:55.3. Trainer Steve Salerno is co-owner of the winner with Bruce Potter, Nicholas Tallarico, and Tom Vassiliou.
(PHHA / Pocono)