Broadway Socks not only routed the field by eight lengths in her division of Friday’s $120,000 Pennsylvania Stallions Series event at The Meadows, but she also established a stake record of 1:55.2 in the process.
The stake for three-year-old filly trotters was conducted over six divisions, with Explosive Attitude, Passing Jetta, Czech It Out, Indoor Voices and Glisten Hanover also taking $20,000 splits.
Dave Palone (Explosive Attitude, Czech It Out) and Mike Wilder (Passing Jetta, Indoor Voices) each enjoyed a stake double. With five wins overall on the 15-race card, Wilder has collected 15 victories over the last three programs.
Although Broadway Socks earned $84,260 at two and reached the championship of the PA Sires Stakes, trainer David Wade had no reservations about dropping her back to the stallions series this year.
“We weren’t ready for the sires stakes yet — too early,” he said of his $34,000 yearling acquisition. “We’re not ready to go in 1:54. We’ll be ready to go faster than that eventually, but we’re not there yet. But if I kick her back up (to the sires stakes), I’ll miss both finals. But $10,000 here is nice money. There are no guarantees in the sires stakes. She’s eligible to other stakes — a couple of things in the Midwest late in the year.”
Her time erased the old stake mark of 1:56.3 established by Sephora De Vie in 2011. Dan Rawlings drove the daughter of Broadway Hall-I Gotta Feelin to her front-end romp for owners Gerald Brittingham, William F. Peel III and Wade.
Explosive Attitude, whom owner/trainer Arlene Cameron describes as “evil” away from the track, moved smartly first-over from fifth and easily captured her second straight stallions series split in 1:57.4, matching her career best. Glams K rallied for second, with Keystone Harper third.
“On the track she’s perfect; in the barn, it’s another story,” said Cameron of the diminutive daughter of Explosive Matter-My Foolish Dream. “Some days it takes a half hour to catch her in the stall. She’ll wheel on you, or she’ll come at you with her mouth wide open. I just try not to get mad at her and let her do her thing. You can’t manhandle her or fight her and think you’ll get somewhere with her because you won’t. She’ll win every time.”
Passing Jetta had failed in all five of her previous starts, but she brushed confidently from third into the final turn and drew off late, breaking her maiden in 1:58.1. Exclusive Photo came from far back for second, while early leader Winky Dink earned show.
“They told me she would be a little excited going to the track but not to pay any attention to that,” Wilder said. “They were right. First step on the racetrack, she was a class act. She was fantastic to drive, and she’s very smart. I couldn’t have asked her to do her job any better.”
Jonas Czernyson conditions the daughter of Lear Jetta-Europass for Team JC Stable, Joanna Callahan, Aldebaran Park and Trish Foulk.
In the $18,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Pace, Sam Hill found late racing room and notched his second consecutive victory in 1:51.4, a nose better than Justified, with Good Day Mate completing the ticket.
Greg Wright, Jr. drove for trainer John Sullivan and owner Don Tiger. The eight-year-old Artsplace-Apple Of My Eye gelding now boasts career earnings of $264,389.
Saturday’s Preakness Day card at The Meadows is highlighted by the Stenographer, a $199,400 PA Sires Stake for three-year-old filly trotters which features the season’s debut of Shake It Cerry, the 2013 divisional champion. She goes in the second split, Race 8, from post 7, with Ron Pierce piloting. First post Saturday is 11:25 a.m.
(The Meadows)