Three-year-old trotting fillies brought down the curtain on Hollywood Casino at The Meadows’ stakes season with two $35,393 Keystone Classic divisions over a sloppy track on Friday, Oct. 2.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Champion Little Road returned to The Meadows with a 1:53.3 Keystone Classic victory in the first division. Regular driver Brady Brown sent the daughter of Fordham Road-A Little Laid Back right down the road through moderate fractions of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before a :27.4 final quarter sealed the win. Misty Blue and Aaron Merriman were 1-3/4 lengths back in second, while Amber Ale Hanover (Justin Irvine) picked up the show spot.
Little Road has won six of her last seven starts and is nine-for-15 on the year for owner, breeder and trainer Roger Hammer of Bedford, Pa. She is now 15-for-24 overall with $501,285 in the coffers. The win price was $2.20.
Shemightbetheone needed the length of the stretch to claim victory in the second Keystone Classic division. Nestled quickly behind Ill Take the Cake (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), Shemightbetheone rode the pocket through friendly fractions of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:26.1 that set up a sprint home. A determined drive from Dave Palone coaxed a :27.4 final quarter from the filly to outsprint the pacesetter for the nose victory in 1:54.1. Wendalyn Hanover (Justin Irvine) finished third.
Pat Lachance trains the winning daughter of Captain Corey-Dancing For Money for owners Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que. The win was the sixth of the season in 16 outings for Shemightbetheone, who has now earned $174,477 and is six-for-20 lifetime. She returned $3.60 to win.
Justin Irvine topped all drivers with three wins on the 14-race card, while the Ron Burke and Brandon Presto stables each sent out two winners.
Live racing resumes on Wednesday, Oct. 7 with a 13-race card. First-race post time is 12:45 p.m.
(MSOA; photo of Little Road winning on Oct. 2)