Pennsylvania-sired stakes competition for two-year-old pacing fillies worth a total of $296,415 highlighted the Sunday, July 19 twilight card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with three divisions of Sire Stakes (PASS) and four of Stallion Series (STS).

The lone favourite to win in Pennsylvania-sired action was Aestas ($4.40), who now has the distinction of winning at three different levels of stakes races in her last three starts upon taking the third $61,246 PASS division here. After first capturing a Stallion Series division and then enjoying success in the Pennsylvania All-Stars in her previous start, on Sunday Aestas was pointed frontward by driver Corey Callahan, made the lead after the :27.3 quarter and then added middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25.1. The Papi Rob Hanover-Air Miles Hanover filly then throttled home in :27.2 to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52.3 for trainer Steve LeBlanc and owner Glenn Dyke. On a night of close finishes in the stakes, Aestas had the biggest winning margin of 1-1/2 lengths over Iwillalwayslouveu (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Fauvette Hanover (Ridge Warren) finished third.

Callahan also accounted for the second Sire Stakes winner, this one the 17-1 shot Jk Lady Liberty ($36.40), a daughter of Captain Crunch out of 2014 U.S. Horse of the Year Jk Shesalady. Jk Lady Liberty sat third through fractions of :27.2, :57, and 1:24.3, found room when the pocket-sitter moved outside into the stretch, and dashed up the Pocono Pike to edge out pacesetter Positive Process (Colin Kelly) by a neck in 1:52.2. Happy Papi (Ridge Warren) was third. The filly, whose only other start was a second in an overnight event, produced the fastest mile in stakes action for trainer Nancy Takter and owner 3 Brothers Stables.

The Stay Hungry-Impact Zone miss Gold Impact ($48.60) posted an even bigger upset in the other PASS split, winning in a lifetime-best 1:52.3 at 23-1. Gold Impact showed speed in the :27.3 first stanza, brushed to the lead before the :56.4 half, hit the three-quarters in 1:25.2, then staved off a giant late rush from favoured My Taylors Swift (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), who was gaining with every late stride but a neck shy on the money. Love Somebody (Callahan) completed the ticket. Mike Wilder drove the winner for trainer Dan Altmeyer and the owning partnership of Altmeyer Wilder Racing, Hutchison Harness LLC, Milton Leeman and David Wills.

In the four $28,169 Stallion Series divisions, Sweet Lou had two siring credits, as did Captaintreacherous, whose progeny driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and trainer Ron Burke combined for wins with. Faster of those two winners was 9-2 proposition Wish For A Captain ($11), who finished with a rush to beat favoured Sangiovese Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53.4. Chase News Network (Austin Siegelman) was third. The winner, out of Wishy Washy Girl, is owned by Zippett Racing Stable, Joseph Di Scala Jr., Michael Dolan and Sjoeblom Racing Inc. 

"Team Ronnie" and Captaintreacherous also clicked with 8-1 shot Saffron Station ($18.20), who sat a pocket trip, came up the inside to get a stretch advantage, then held off a big charge from favoured Amazing Tammy (Mark Herschberger) by a neck to break her maiden in 1:55. Elite Power (Andrew McCarthy) completed the top three. Saffron Station, out of Southwind Spring, enjoyed the relief from PASS company to win for owners Scott Dillon and Craig Henderson.

The quickest STS winner was a daughter of Sweet Lou, Boardwalk Babe ($4.60), who was another successful user of the famed Pocono Pike in a three-quarter-length tally over Odds On Wonderful (Andrew McCarthy) in 1:53.3. Yankee Getaway (Mike Wilder) was third. Anthony Napolitano drove the winner, out of Restive Hanover, for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and Double The Fun Stable.

Boardwalk Babe came to Pocono off a career debut in the Tompkins-Geers at Woodbine Mohawk Park; using the same but rarely-used path to the mountain track was Lyons Cariemontana ($4.60), a Sweet Lou-Lyons Monatize miss who also utilized the inside stretch path in taking a maiden mark of 1:54.3. She was a half-length to the good over crowd choice Gift Of Faith (Andrew McCarthy) for driver Mike Whelan, trainer Ken Oliver and owner Threelyonsracing. Lexi Crunch (Callahan) rounded out the ticket.

Callahan led the horsemen’s colony with three success stories – besides his PASS wins, he drove Holt Hanover to a victory in the card’s opener in 1:49 in a non-winners-of-two event. Team Wrenn-Burke were the only other doublers on the 12-race Sunday program.

Mike Polansky and John Calabrese won a pair of races for the American Harness Drivers Club.

Racing is right back in action at Pocono on a Monday card with a 1 p.m. start time. There are two $16,000 USD features, one for fast-class trotters and one for two-year-old pacing fillies.

(PHHA/Pocono; photo of Aestas winning on July 19)