Hangover headlined the stakes action on Friday, May 16 at The Meadows, which featured a pair of $71,000+ divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) for three-year-old trotting fillies.
The PASS leg, known as the Meadow Bright, opened with the popular Ake Svanstedt trainee Hangover ($7) winning her seasonal debut in a career-best 1:54.3 -- fastest of the two divisions -- in rein to Dave Palone.
Princess Jackie and Jim Marohn Jr. forced the position issue early, prompting Palone to move Hangover back to the lead past the quarter. From there, she faced a backside challenge from Ms Prada and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. Although the two fillies raced head-to-head through the turn, Hangover opened back up in the stretch for a 1-3/4-length victory. Ms Prada settled for second and Goodgirl Bi IT rounded out the top three for Mattias Melander.
"With Ake’s conditioning and training regiment, his horses can be driven confidently anytime,” explained Palone afterwards.
The Southwind Frank-Mezcal Morning filly, who ended her freshman season with a victory in the Simpson Stakes, is now two-for-seven in her career and just shy of the six-figure earnings mark for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Joe Sbrocco And Jaf Racing, Little E and Rivers Stable.
The local combination of trainer Steve Schoeffel and driver Brady Brown teamed up to take the second division with Payback Moni ($7.20) keeping her perfect sophomore record in tact with a 1:55.1 score.
Blueberry and Wrenn Jr. were quick to the lead in the opening quarter while Payback Moni and Brown left alertly from the outside post seven to secure the pocket spot. A moderate second quarter set up a big finish as Blueberry and Payback Moni duelled through the stretch with the latter prevailing by a neck. Seal The Deal As and Matt Kakaley finished three lengths back in third.
With Payback Moni now three-for-three to start her sophomore season, Brown stated, “She's been absolutely phenomenal training back from day one. She's filled out nicely.”
The International Moni-Blurred filly earned her fourth career win and pushed her earnings to $131,553 through a dozen starts. She is owned by Kathy Shoeffel, Daniel Goehle and James Reuther.
Friday's Pennsylvania Stallion Series action started the way the PASS finished, with Brown and Schoeffel scoring with a last-step winner, Per Capita ($22), in a career-best 1:57. Three $27,778 divisions were contested with the track downgraded to "sloppy."
Early movement set up Per Capita, at odds of 10-1, to get up in the final stride for the signature win of her young career.
"She got rough twice in the last turn and I had to tell myself to stop chasing her in the turn,“ confessed Brown following the race.
The Father Patrick-Pay For Soup filly is owned by Kathy Schoeffel, King Fam Stables and Mary Owlett.
“A nice surprise,“ is how Todd Schadel summed up the victory by homebred filly Tally The Tab ($20.80) in the second division of the Stallion Series.
Trainer, driver and co-owner and breeder with Christine Schadel, Todd Schadel sat the pocket with the International Moni-Cantab Cabela filly and wore down favourite Bay Breeze Hanover for the half-length victory in a lifetime best of 1:55.3 at near 10-1 odds.
In the third and final Stallion Series division, Willow Oak Racing’s homebred Santa Christina ($2.60) lived up to her heavy favourite status with a 3-1/4-length victory in 1:55.3. After Boom Chica Boom hustled to the lead from post six, Dave Palone moved the Julie Miller-trained winner back to the lead and the Bar Hopping-Cardinale filly trotted off.
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday at The Meadows at 11:30 a.m., with 14 races on the card. There will be a Pick-5 carryover of $388.34 and a Penta carryover of $978.42.
(With files from Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)