The 2026 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes made its final preliminary visit to Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Friday, Aug. 28 with the state’s top sophomore pacing colts and fillies in action.

The featured filly event on the card was the $141,853 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, this leg known as the Romola Hanover, won by 2-5 favourite Sangria Summer. Positioned third from post eight, driver Matt Kakaley moved Sangria Summer just past an opening half of :54.4 and engaged front-runner Hope Hill (Dave Palone) through a :27.3 backside to reach three quarters in 1:22.1. Gaining the lead at the top of the stretch, the Sangria Summer held off the fast-closing longshot Say Goodnight (Tyler Buter) for a 1:50.2 victory by a neck. Im A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) completed the top trio.

A daughter of Captaintreacherous-Shower Play, Sangria Summer now sports a 6-3-1 summary from 12 starts this season with earnings of more than $450,000 for owner Determination of Montreal, Que. Luc Blais trains the winner, who paid $2.80.

Toast Of The Town ($8; pictured above) and Dave Palone set a stakes record in their $74,796 PASS division for sophomore pacing colts, named the Tarport Effrat. Controlling the race from the start through a :26.3 opener and half of 55, Palone turned the Noel Daley trainee loose down the backside to the tune of :26.1, creating separation from first-over challenger Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) while hitting the third quarter in 1:21.3. Pacing home in :26.3, Toast Of The Town hit the wire in career-best 1:48.1 to best pocket sitter Superchamp Hanover (Kakaley) by 1-1/2 lengths with Melillo in for third.

Toast Of The Town, a son of Sweet Lou-New Year, is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc. of Boca Raton, Fl., Morrison Racing Stables of Indiana, Pa., Jesmeral Stable of New Rochelle, N.Y. and Alberg Racing LLC of Washington, N.J.

Adios winner Al Papi ($2.20) returned to The Meadows with a wrapped-up 1:50.3 effort in his $74,796 PASS division. Papi Rick was hustled to the lead by Justin Irvine through an opening quarter of :26.3. That lead was short-lived as Ronnie Wrenn Jr. moved Al Papi toward the front, taking control before an opening half of :55.2. A :28.4 backside — three-quarters in 1:24.1 — made the final quarter a formality as Al Papi sprinted home in :26.2 to keep Papi Rick 1-1/4 lengths back in second with Easy Breeze (Tyler Buter) completing the top trio. 

A son of Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy, Al Papi heads into next week’s PASS championship final with three wins and earnings of more than $843,000 this season for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa., Jandt Silva- Purnel And Libby of Ocean Ridge, Fl., Larry Karr of Boca Raton, Fl. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pa.

Friday’s card also featured four $27,397 Pennsylvania Stallion Series divisions, two for each sophomore pacing division.

In three-year-old colt Stallion Series action, Good Friday ($4.60) and Matt Kakaley controlled the race and held off challengers to the left and right to score a 1:50.3 victory in their division. Tom Shay trains the son of Tall Dark Stranger for owners Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, Pa. and Teena Freibert of Versailles, Ky. It was a career-best effort for Good Friday.

Ghetto Loupastar ($21.40) and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. pulled a mild 9-1 upset in the second Stallion Series division. A long first-over move from fifth resulted in the third win of the season for the son of Sweet Lou, this time in 1:51.4 by a head over McHungry (Mike Wilder). Ghetto Loupastar is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Phillip Collura of Mountain Top, Pa.

Sandyboots Yankee ($3.60) and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. turned in the fastest filly Stallion Series victory with a 1:50 effort. Wrenn used a backside bull rush with the Always B Miki filly to take control and hold off Ok My Way (Palone). Trained by Ron Burke, Sandyboots Yankee is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Karr and Collura.

Make It Right ($2.80) made it six wins in 14 starts this season with her Stallion Series victory. Moved first-over past the five-eighths by driver Tim Tetrick, the daughter of Papi Rob Hanover was best by 2-1/2 lengths in a career best 1:50.4. Kiluaea Hanover (Palone) finished second. Jim King Jr. trains for owners Gary McCandless of Howell, N.J., Jo Ann Looney-King of Harrington, De. and Larry Rathbone of Lake Worth, Fl.

Wrenn and Burke connected for a total of five wins on the card.

Racing resumes Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows with a 12-race card. First-race post is 12:45 p.m.

(edited MSOA press release)