Two-year-old pacing males provided spirited racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 25 as they battled for points and a high place in the standings in the last preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) and Stallion Series before their rich early September championships.

Purses totalling $253,665 were on line during the three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action. The only successful non-favourite and non-double PASS winner recorded the fastest time. The Papi Rob Hanover-Dagnabit Hanover gelding Dreamboat Hanover, who after close Sire Stakes finishes put it all together to take a new mark of 1:50.3. Driver Todd Schadel sent his colt up between horses early to the lead and never looked back, putting up splits of :27, :56 and 1:23.1, then keeping favoured Papis Rocket safe by 2-1/4 lengths. Todd’s son Cody trains the “family affair” horse, who is owned by his father and mother Christine in partnership with Timothy Hayes and Dr. Megan Moschgat.

The other two Sire Stakes winners were colts who are sons of Sweet Lou. Go Go Grasshopper (dam Faster Faster) also took the engine route for driver/trainer Joe Bongiorno, with fractions of :27.2, :56 and 1:22.4 preceding a final clocking of 1:50.4, which equalled his lifetime best. Inflation Proof was 2-1/2 lengths in second behind the winner, who is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing and JB Racing.

The other son of Sweet Lou winning in the upper category was Railroad Station (dam Rodeo Rosie), who scored in 1:51.2. Railroad Station sat in the two-hole a long way under a hard hold by driver David Miller as Wedlock Blue Chip set fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:24, then was given his head by Miller nearing the far turn. The colt worked past the pacesetter by 1-3/4 lengths for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.

In contrast to the Sire Stakes races, the five $27,027 divisions of Stallion Series racing saw the fastest time posted by the only winning favourite, Im The One, with a win in 1:51.1. Tim Tetrick, the track’s leading driver for the meet and for the day (four wins Sunday), sat behind the winning gelding (dam Lifetime Trust) for trainer Brett Pelling, giving Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing a second stakes win (there’s more coming), this one in partnership with Enviro Stables Ltd.

Papi Rob Hanover had a second Stallion Series win and a third on the stakes day when the gelding Makes Sense grinded to a lifetime best of 1:52 in only his third start for trainer Robert Cleary, owned again by Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing, this time in partnership with trainer Cleary and Carl Howard.

Makes Sense was one of three Stallion Series wins for driver Todd McCarthy, two of them for the successful teaming of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing – Makes Sense and Twisted Destiny, a Bettors Wish-Tug River Princess ridgling, who took a new mark of 1:51.4 in his second consecutive series victory for trainer Chris Ryder. That’s four stakes on the day for Let It Ride and Odds On.

McCarthy also guided to victory a colt by Sweet Lou, which gave that sire three stakes wins on the day. This winner was Mad River (dam Reckless Fool), who in his first Stallion Series start laid off a hot pace then closed to take a new mark of 1:52.1 mark for his second straight success. Joe Holloway is the trainer for Val D’Or Farms.

The final Stallion Series winner was the Captaintreacherous-Hidden Land colt Jackson Cooper, who picked a good time to break his maiden, pacing in 1:53.4 for driver Austin Siegelman, trainer Matthew Medeiros and Jesmeral Stable.

The freshman Sire Stakes finals are Thursday, Sept. 5 at The Meadows. All eight Stallion Series Championships will be raced on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Harrah’s Philly.

Driver Austin Siegelman, in a rare local appearance, not only had a Stallion Series winner, but he guided Hemsworth N (another son of Sweet Lou, but seven years old) to a 1:48.3 victory in the $20,270 fast-class handicap pace. Siegelman yielded the early lead to Backstreet Shadow wand was content to follow the millionaire in the pocket with his gelding, then moved him outside for the stretch drive and won out by three-quarters of a length for trainer Jared Bako and 1362313 Ontario Ltd.

Tim Tetrick led the afternoon with four driving victories, Todd McCarthy had three, Siegelman and Bongiorno had two along with Tony Morgan. The trainers ledger was more equitable, with only Chuck Crissman Jr. doubling on the day.

Racing resumes at Philly on Thursday, Aug. 29 with a 12:25 p.m. first post.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)