First-time Pennsylvania Stallion Series starters won all four divisions of the third preliminary leg for two-year-old filly pacers Tuesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono – with all four of the winners not assured of a sire stakes championship, but close to 'on the bubble' for the rich final to be held at Pocono on Labour Day.

Matt Kakaley handled two of Tuesday’s winners, including the fastest and the only non-maiden, the A Rocknroll Dance-Road Sign miss Sidewalk Dancer, who won her third straight race while lowering her mark to 1:52.3. “Sidewalk” danced to control past the quarter and finished with 27.4 speed to be five lengths clear at the finish for trainer Chris Oakes and owners North Fork Racing Stable, Omar Beiler, and Dennis Coons.

Kakaley’s other Stallion Series success came behind the Bettors Delight-Sanabellevalentine filly Belles Delight, who moved to the lead at the three-quarter pole and drew off by 5-3/4 lengths in 1:53.3. Belles Delight, who was second in a division of the Arden Downs stake on Adios Day, is trained by Ron Burke for owner W J Donovan.

Both Kakaley winners were mutuel favourites; the horse evaluated as second-best in her division, the Somebeachsomewhere-Shoobeedobeedo (try typing that three times quickly) filly Sandys Beach, proved the best by two lengths despite going first-over to stop the timer at 1:52.4. David Miller, who had four wins on the card at press time, drove the Nifty Norman-trained filly for owner David McDuffee.

The longest-priced of the four winners, She Said So ($17.60), also had the smallest win margin, a head, but her check will be the same no matter the margin of victory. The daughter of Well Said-Dreams Are Great was stepping quickly late to just catch favoured pacesetter Krushed Apple in 1:54.4 for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Mark Harder, the latter also co-owner with Joseph Jannuzzelli, Deena Frost, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.

The only double winner in the first two prelims, Cult Icon, sat out this dance, and obviously with four first-time series starters winning she is still the only filly with two wins.

But she is not the point leader: that distinction is shared by three fillies who had board finishes at Pocono to make their scorecards 3-1-1-1, worth 75 points: Real Fine, Round The Beach, and Some Renditions. And right now 40 points ties a horse for eighth and a shake to get in the 8-horse final; all of Tuesday’s winners are tied for 11th – which should make the freshmen’s final divisional prelim, August 23 at Philly, quite a spectacle.

(PHHA/Pocono)