Two divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters brightened an overcast Saturday afternoon on July 11 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.

Captang was the fastest of the two division winners and produced the day's biggest upset on the 14-race card. Starting from post two at odds of 23-1 in the $78,655 event with Brian Zendt in the sulky, Captang used his early speed to secure the pocket behind the favoured Celebrity Hunter (Dave Palone). Through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:26, Zendt patiently stalked the leader before angling Captang to the outside at the top of the stretch. The Captain Corey-Tangent colt trotted home in :28.2 to score a two-length victory in 1:54.3. Redstorm Hanover (Yannick Gingras) edged out Celebrity Hunter for second. 

A $98,592 Standardbred Horse Sale yearling purchase, Captang is owned by Purple Haze Stables of Fairport, New York. George Ducharme trains the rookie, who broke his maiden in his second career start following a third-place finish in the Pennsylvania All-Stars on July 4 at Pocono Downs.

The winner of that Pennsylvania All-Stars race, Dream Shaq, improved to two-for-two in his career as he took the other $79,218 PASS division on Saturday. Dream Shaq and driver Dexter Dunn settled briefly in fourth before making a quarter-pole move to take command by the half in :57.4. After a :29 third quarter, the 3-2 second choice Dream Shaq sprinted home in :28.2 to hold off the game favourite, Jimdougie Armitrage (Ake Svanstedt), by half a length and stop the timer in a new mark of 1:55.1. Mr Green Hanover (Anthony MacDonald) finished third. 

Trained by Marcus Melander for Brixton Medical Inc. of Matawan, New Jersey and Hatfield Stables of Columbus, Ohio, the Father Patrick-Me Too Baby colt was a $118,056 Lexington Selected Sale yearling purchase.

The Meadows also hosted four $28,169 accompanying divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series. Zendt picked up a victory in those events courtesy of Keystone Augusta (Captain Corey-Miss Aultsville), a 1:59 winner for trainer William Daugherty Jr. 

The other divisions were won by Hook N Reel (Captain Corey-Flos Conch Shack) in 1:58 with Yannick Gingras in the driver's seat for the Ake Svanstedt stable, Sas Tiki Bar (Bar Hopping-Finnery Hanover) in 1:57.3 for the driving and training duo of Shawn and Gary Johnston and Heir Tothe Naughty (Captain Corey- Msnaughtyashill) in 1:58.3 with Justin Irving aboard for trainer Justin Lloyd.

Live harness racing resumes at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Wednesday, July 15, with a 13-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m.

(With files from Meadows Standardbred Owners Association; photo of Captang)