Courtesy of her victories in the Lynch final and the Mistletoe Shalee, Kissin In The Sand has soared to the top of the three-year-old pacing filly division. This Friday (Aug. 24) at the Meadows, she’ll try to lock up a berth in the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship, which will take place on September 2 at Pocono.

In Friday’s PASS – which is a $160,238 stakes event known as the Romola Hanover – Kissin In The Sand will start from Post 6 in Race 8. Dave Palone will be aboard for trainer Nancy Johansson and owners Marvin Katz and Hatfield Stables. There will be a special post time for the twilight card (5:30 p.m.).

Kissin In The Sand has finished first or second in all eight of her starts this year, which has, in turn, lifted her career bankroll to $634,997. She’s currently tied for fourth in the PASS standings, and with nine of the Top 10 in PASS points set to compete in the Romola Hanover, it might not be a day at the beach for the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Kiss Me Kate.

Speaking of days at the beach, that’s pretty much how she’s been prepping for the stakes event. Johansson is a proponent of interval training, which involves brief, intense bursts of speed followed by long, slow jogs. The workouts take place on the straight, in deep sand, and can last an hour. Trainers that use interval training say it builds foundation while increasing the capacity for quicker, faster brushes.

“About 95 per cent of European trainers use it,” said Johansson. “Speed is tough on the joints, and this allows you to work the heart without having to go very quickly. We’re very diligent about checking heart rates after training, and she always has a very low heart rate.”

Johansson believes Kissin In The Sand is well positioned to finish the season strongly and win the divisional Dan Patch award.

“I think that’s everybody’s goal, although now that she’s at the top, everybody’s coming after her,” Johansson said. “I see no reason why she couldn’t do it. She’s been super all year, and she’s gad good breaks between her tough races.”

Kissin In The Sand, pictured victorious at the Meadowlands Racetrack with Yannick Gingras (Lisa Photo)

Johansson indicated she’s had preliminary discussions with Katz about the direction for Kissin In The Sand once this season ends.

“Marvin is a successful breeder, and she would do great in the breeding shed. But if she can make money on the track, that option is still there. She’d be competitive with aged mares. A lot of them will be bred, so there may be fewer of them next year.”

The card will also feature a $40,000 PA Stallion Series stakes race for sophomore pacing fillies and many fan-centric activities. As part of the ‘Corks and Kegs Weekend,’ fans may enjoy a variety of specialties from food trucks on the apron. Nearby, fans aged 12 and older will be able to participate in a virtual reality exhibit that will give them the experience of driving a Standardbred. Radio station 93.7 FM The Fan will broadcast live from the track and kick off the program with a match race between on-air personalities Joe Starkey and Chris Mueller.

The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) will offer ‘Family Fun Night’ festivities which will include a bounce house, a stilt walker, a face painter and a balloon artist. In addition, the MSOA will invite fans to play ‘Plinko,’ and eight of the track’s regular drivers will compete in a ‘Pony Hop Charity Challenge,’ with all prize money donated to the drivers’ designated charities.

For more information or to participate, stop by the MSOA table in the racebook. Drivers and their charities include:

• Mike Wilder — Pacing for the Cure
• Dave Palone — Standardbred Retirement Foundation
• Jeremy Indof — American Cancer Society
• Dan Rawlings— Asperger and Autism Network
• Jim Pantaleano — Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center
• Brady Brown — St Jude Hospital
• Shawn Johnston — Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Western Pennsylvania
• Wilbur Yoder — New Vocations

(Meadows)