The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes concluded its 2025 run at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday, Oct. 27 with two-year-old fillies featured: two $68,310 divisions of the Davidia Hanover for trotters and two $65,775 divisions of the Razzle Hanover for pacers.
All the eight Simpson Stakes are named after a champion horse that the U.S. Hall of Fame had a large hand in during his Hall Of Fame career.
Even with two-year-olds, it’s unusual to find a horse breaking her maiden in a stakes event, but the fastest division of both stakes went to a horse who had never won before. In the quicker Davidia Hanover section, Isabella Bi was very sharp even after 31 days off, the people’s choice recording a 1:54 mile for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt while widening her lead throughout the last half to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Svanstedt’s Åke Svanstedt Inc. shares ownership of the fleet daughter of Tactical Landing-Call Me Bi IT with Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing and Little E.
In the other section, Pocono had its fourth straight day of a $50+ horse winning, as the Bar Hopping-Cardinale distaff Sister Wine, benefitting by breaks from the three favourites before the eighth, overcame a two-move trip to defeat one of those breakers, Berry Good News, by a neck in a lifetime best 1:56.3 while paying $55.40. Tyler Miller drove the outsider to the win for trainer/mother Julie Miller and Willow Oak Racing. (And despite being a Bar Hopping trotter who has six letters in her first name and “Wine” as a second name, her maternal pedigree does not immediately reveal any connections with a Breeders Crown-winning trotter this past weekend.)
There was the same maiden-as-fastest winner/longshot theme in the Razzle Hanover. Existential, who had earned $161,529, mostly against good New York company, without winning, finally made the breakthrough on Monday in 1:53.1. The daughter of Huntsville-Frankies Dream won by 1-1/4 lengths for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Scott Di Domenico and the ownership of Triple D Stables, Philip Steinberg and Michael Federeci.
The tote board upsetter on the pace was the Always B Miki-A Beach Cowgirl filly Sandyboots Yankee, who made good use of lively cover, then drew off to win by herself in a new mark of 1:53.3. Mike Wilder handled the catch-driving assignment from Pocono’s leading trainer Ron Burke (who usually doesn’t send out 18-1 shots) while notching the triumph for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr and Phil Collura.
Two-time winners on the card were drivers Simon Allard, Matt Kakaley, Anthony Napolitano and Mike Wilder, along with trainer Adrian Wisher Sr.
The racing week at Pocono concludes with a 1 p.m. card on Tuesday, with carryovers entering and closing the card: the first race Pick 4 and the last race High 5. Next week, the new “Winter Is Coming” series start, providing mid-week features until the end of the year.
(PHHA/Pocono)