Some of the top three-year-old pacers in the nation will square off at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Friday, Aug. 28 in the final leg of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) action.  The fields will include Grade 1 Delvin Miller Adios winner Al Papi and Grade 1 James Lynch Memorial winner Sangria Summer.

The first major stake is the fifth race on the card, the lone $103,553 USD division of the Romola Hanover Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies.  Sangria Summer has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favourite, starting from post eight for trainer Luc Blais and driver Matt Kakaley.  Hope Hill, trained by Virgil Morgan and driven by Dave Palone from post six, ships from Ohio after a couple of starts in Kentucky and is the second choice at 5-2.

Races 7 and 8 on the program will be two splits of the Tarport Effrat PASS for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, and will bring together several heavy hitters in the sophomore ranks this season.  Each division carries a purse of $54,601 USD.

In the first group, Carl Milstein Memorial winner Melillo is the 2-1 morning line choice from post seven for trainer Ron Burke and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr.  Melillo was second in the Grade 1 Adios Pace in his last local appearance.  Toast Of The Town, the Noel Daley trainee fresh off a win in the Hempt Consolation last weekend at Pocono in 1:48.4, is the 5-2 second choice.  Dave Palone will drive from post two.  Sneaky Squeaky, who has been racing at Lexington in recent weeks, returns to Pennsylvania for trainer Joe Bongiorno and driver Tim Tetrick this week, and is the 4-1 third choice from post six.

The second split is led by Al Papi, the Burke trainee whose last Meadows appearance was in the Adios winner’s circle on July 25. He is listed at 8-5 on the morning line for driver Wrenn.  Another son of Papi Rob Hanover, Papi Rick, is the 7-2 second choice for Daley and driver Justin Irvine, while Thai Hanover, a 44-1 longshot winner in a Hempt Consolation last week, is the 4-1 third choice. Jeremy Indof will drive the local product for trainer Mitchell York.

This is the final chance for PASS sophomores to earn points toward next week’s Championships.

First post time for the Friday card is 5:10 p.m, and will also include four $20,000 USD Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake divisions, two each for sophomore colt and filly pacers. 

(Meadows; photo of Al Papi winning the Adios)