The Bar Hopping-Perfect Chance filly Ginger Tree Lex marked herself as a freshman trotter to watch for in upcoming major races by winning her fifth straight stakes event and remaining undefeated in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) competition in an $81,357 division of her third preliminary round on Sunday, Aug. 17 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Matt Kakaley sent her away from post six ,and the filly was two-wide for most of the :27.2 quarter to reach the front but got a breather to the half in :57.2. She hit three-quarters in 1:26.1, and through the last panel the favourite steadily increased her margin over her opposition without looking hard-pressed in a four-length victory with a lifetime-best clocking of 1:54.3. Wendalyn Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) finished second with Litt Up (Tyler Buter) third.

Steve Cook is the trainer of Ginger Tree Lex, who is owned by the partnership of Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable 2 and Bob Reber Jr. The filly has won five of six lifetime starts and earned $130,882. She returned $5.60 at the windows.

The other $81,357 PASS division was also won by the chalk, the Captain Corey-Island Lily miss Islandgirl Hanover, who also used engine tactics to record a 1:55.4 win. After a :28 opening quarter, trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer rated her to :58.1 and 1:27.4 middle fractions and then his filly could not be caught while gliding home in :28. Cash Out Express (Kakaley) came home second from the pocket, followed by Noble Encore (Mattias Melander). The winner paid $3.80.

Islandgirl Hanover has won three of five lifetime trips behind the gate for Purple Haze Stables LLC. She has earned $88,544.

There were two major contrasts between the Sire Stakes and the five $27,778 divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series racing Sunday at Pocono: while favourites took both of the top-level races, only one chalk won in the five Stallion Series races, and no Stallion Series competitor has more than one win after three rounds, though 15 different horses now have a single victory.

Greenshoe fathered three of Sunday’s five winners, including the fastest, who was also the longest shot of her race at 21-1: the maiden-no-more Rina Labelle (dam Absynthe Hanover). She moved smartly out of the pocket to win in 1:56 for driver Wrenn, trainer Vernon Beachy and owners 518 Group LLC, Ryan Smith and Gitup Racing. She returned $44.80.

The other two credits for Greenshoe were Nuance ($16.60), out of Hillarmbro, who broke her maiden in 1:56.1 for driver Mattias Melander, trainer Marcus Melander and owner Courant Inc., and Berry Good News ($9.20), out of Poof Shes Gone, who took her first career win in 1:56.3. The latter is a Nifty Norman trainee and homebred for Melvin Hartman and David McDuffee who was driven by Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver for the meet and for the day. Buter also brought home AJ Hall ($3.80), by Cantab Hall-Aela Jamieson, to her maiden-breaking win in 1:58.1 as the only Stallion Series favourite to win. The filly is trained by Daley for owners Sjoblom Racing Inc., L.A. Express Stable LLC, Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing LLC.

And finally, 79-year-old Roger Hammer is the breeder-owner-trainer of the Fordham Road-A Little Laid Back miss Little Road ($13), who scored her third career win in 1:56.3, with driver Brady Brown doing a good Hammer imitation by getting through a tiny hole on the inside to be up on the money.

Between the Stallion Series action, Sunday's card included a $13,889 race for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC), with Mike Polansky scoring off a pocket ride in rein to trainer Michael Fiumenero's trotter Certify in 1:56.1.

After starting off the week with a sensational Sun Stakes Saturday card that generated a handle of more than $1 million, along with excellent two-year-old racing on Sunday, Pocono continues its racing week with Monday and Tuesday programs beginning at 1 p.m.

(PHHA/Pocono & AHDC)