There were six $20,000 divisions of the first preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for three-year-old pacing fillies at Harrah’s Philadelphia on a special Memorial Day Monday card of racing.
There of the heats went in 1:53.3, and three went in 1:54.2.
Leading sire Somebeachsomewhere sired three of the winners - all three of the 1:54.2 winners.
The first of the great sire’s success stories was Dreams On Me, who’s 2-for-2 since being sent from Canada to hot trainer Mark Harder, who won a Sire Stake for this division yesterday with Serene Stride.
Here, Dreams On Me was forced into the pocket by pacesetting Aldine Hanover, who insisted on early command in her 2018 debut, but then Dreams On Me turned into a pocket rocket, gaining into a :56.2 final half to win by a length over the chalk for driver Eric Carlson and owners Dean Lockhart, the 30 Plus Stable and Windsun Farms Inc.
Tony Morgan got a late catch-drive when Victor Kirby had to leave Philly to make his commitments at Harrington, and the second-winningest driver in North American history will never get an easier late assignment, as Thrillonthebeach won by ten lengths. The Christopher Freck-conditioned filly showed good manageability, as she looked to leave, started to back off, then got back in gear while wide to grab command early from favoured Mean Leen. When that rival made a break trying to keep up at the three-quarter pole she badly bothered the remainder of the connected horses and Thrillonthebeach continued home with daylight behind her for owner Anthony Olswfski.
Sandys Beach maximized a backstretch brush to the lead in completing the Somebeachsomewhere triple, as the Nifty Norman trainee held off a late charge from Dance For Kisses by a neck as she won for the first time in 2018 for driver Jim Pantaleano and owner David McDuffee.
Pantaleano also won one of the 1:53.3 heats, with the A Rocknroll Dance miss Band Stand, who despite an uncovered mission and making her first start of the year remained good to the wire, emerging victorious for trainer Tony Alagna and owner Bradley Grant.
The only one of the winning sextet to take a new mark was the Well Said filly Shes In For Life, who also used the uncovered route, then held off the horse on her back, Zuluwarriorhanover, by a neck.
Although having to give up the drive on a later Sire Stake winner, Victor Kirby did get a Stallion Series win with Shes In For Life, who is trained by Jim King, Jr., certainly a man on a roll (Shartin N, etc.), and owned by CC Racing LLC and Jo-Ann Looney King.
The day’s other stakes winner was the Bettors Delight filly Real Fine, now 4-for-5 in 2018, who set the pace and despite bearing out a bit in the lane still held off Destiny Hanover by a half-length for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services, Slaughter Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)