Captain Albano, last year’s U.S. champion two-year-old pacing colt, made his 2024 debut a success when he captured one of four divisions of the $54,033 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes second preliminary at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, May 18.
Racing over a “sloppy” track (all eight of the stakes races save the first Stallion Series event were conducted in the slop), the son of Captaintreacherous was outside most of the :27.1 first quarter to take command, then yielded to Ivy Park and sat in the two-hole behind that one through middle fractions of :55.2 and 1:23.4. Todd McCarthy moved “The Captain” to the Pocono Pike and saw his colt gain immediately upon getting clear ground, and the driver looked confident in his horse even though the official margin was just a head over his game foe at the end of the 1:50.4 mile.
Captain Albano now has eight wins and two seconds in his 10-start career, with a bankroll of $472,696. Noel Daley trains Captain Albano for Patricia Stable, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., and Michael Dolan.
The team of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing are part-owners of two of the other Sire Stakes winners, including the fastest victor, Rush In, who got home in 1:50.2 to take his second straight Sire Stakes start. Scott Zeron made a power uncovered move down the backstretch after fractions of :26.2 and :54.4, cleared to the lead before the 1:22.1 three-quarters and drew off by four lengths over Captain Skippy. Linda Toscano trains the Heston Blue Chip colt, now four-for-six after not racing at two. South Mountain Stables and Island Sun Stable also share in his ownership.
Breeders Crown champion Gem Quality now has two Pocono stakes wins in as many starts in this campaign, following up his Pennsylvania All-Stars win of last week with a 1:51 success here. Driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Brad Grant and Enviro Stables in addition to Let It Ride / Odds On, the Captain Crunch colt sat fourth through :27.1 and :55.3 opening splits, got underway raw before the 1:23.3 three-quarters, then won by 1-3/4 lengths over Armada Hanover.
In the other Sire Stakes cut, the Sweet Lou gelding Sweet Beach Life forced a :27.1 initial quarter before sitting pocketed behind mid-fractions of :55.4 and 1:22.4, then used the Pocono Pike to record a new mark of 1:50.4. The winner caught pacesetting Solid Character by a length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander and A Sweet Beach Life Stable.
Women Layer is undefeated in five 2024 starts and the only double Stallion Series winner after a 1:51.4 victory in one of four $27,397 events. Todd McCarthy picked up a Stallion Series win to complement his victory with Captain Albano by guiding the Sweet Lou gelding for trainer Brett Pelling and owners Howard and Judith Taylor, Order By Stable AB and Jerry Silva.
Sweet Lou got a third siring credit in the day’s stakes with the gelding War Machine, a $55.00 upsetter who took a new mark of 1:52.3 for driver David Miller, trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr and Phil Collura. Captaintreacherous sired two Saturday stakes winners, including the colt Arson, a 1:52 winner when the track was still rated “good,” for driver Mark MacDonald, trainer Tim Twaddle and Thestable Arson Group and Hutchinson Harness LLC.
The meet’s leading driver, Matt Kakaley, and trainer Travis Alexander completed a Sire Stakes-Stallion Series double with Target Acquired, a Betting Line gelding who lowered his lifetime best in 1:51.2, the day’s quickest Stallion Series clocking, for Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC. The Kakaley/Alexander pairing also won the last race of the day to become the only horsemen with three successes on the card.
A sizable portion of this division is likely to be at Harrah’s Philadelphia in eight days time, as the third PA-sired prelim for this bracket is part of their Super Sunday card on May 26. The best of the Sire Stakes group will be back at Pocono on Sept. 9 to race in their $252,000 USD championship.
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at Pocono Downs will be headed by three $30,000 USD divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest for sophomore trotting colts, with many Hambletonian hopefuls looking to sharpen their form and earn their way onto the big card the first Saturday in August. Also, Sunday’s Pick-5 wager beginning in race five will have a carryover.
(PHHA / Pocono)