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Captaintreacherous made his highly anticipated sophomore debut a winning one in Sunday's Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at Pocono Downs while driver Dave Palone swept the other three divisions with Martini Hanover, Beach Memories and new track record holder Normandy Invasion.
Captaintreacherous took center stage in the $62,587 third sire stakes division of the night and didn't disappoint with a 1:49.4 wrapped up victory.
Driver Tim Tetrick rolled outside starter Captaintreacherous to the lead past a contested :26.3 opening quarter and cleared to command just before the :54.3 half-mile mark. The heavy 1-9 favourite proceeded to three-quarters in 1:23.1 while fellow North America Cup eligible Dedis Dragon (Matt Kakaley) was flushed first over from third. But Captaintreacherous drew off down the stretch for the three and a half length victory. Dedis Dragon settled for second and early leader Twinscreeks Jesse (George Napolitano Jr.) finished third.
Tony Alagna trains the Somebeachsomewhere-Wordly Treasure colt for Captaintreacherous Racing of Versailles, Kentucky.
Capataintreacherous established himself as the early 3-1 favourite in Trot Magazine's 2013 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book with an O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winning freshman campaign in which he earned $911,277 in purses by winning eight of his 10 starts, including the $1 million Metro Pace in 1:49.2 (his third and fastest sub-1:50 win of the season).
Martini Hanover kicked off the stakes action earlier in the night with a 1:49.3 open length victory.
Palone sent Martini Hanover to the lead from post four with CC Heet Seeker (Andy Miller) rolling up to take over command at the :27-second opening quarter mark. But Palone and Martini Hanover retook the lead as the field moved in front of the grandstand for the first time and reached the half in :55.1.
Meanwhile, favourite Appentice Hanover (Jody Jamieson) moved underway from the backfield and picked up cover from Our Dragon King (Corey Callahan) en route to the 1:23 third quarter mark.
Apprentice Hanover fanned three-wide off his stalled cover into the stretch, but it was too late for the popular North America Cup eligible. Martini Hanover had drawn off to secure his first sophomore victory in two starts by five and a half lengths. Apprentice Hanover settled for second in his seasonal debut while Net Ten Eom (Tim Tetrick) finished third.
The Dragon Again-Maremma Hanover gelding, who won last year's Metro Pace Consolation, is trained by Chris Ryder for Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio.
Martini Hanover is also eligible to the Cup and has been assessed at odds of 45-1 in the Spring Book.
Palone returned to the winner's circle after steering favourite Beach Memories to a 1:50.2 three and a half length score in the following division.
Beach Memories swept from third to first after Delaware Hanover (Frank Milby) and Johns Polyview (David Miller) traded turns on the lead through a :27.1 opening panel. The bettors' choice proceeded to the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:22.3 with the early leaders following closely behind while the rest of the field was gapped out after making breaks. Beach Memories then opened up on his rivals in the stretch while Delaware Hanover chased him home for second. Johns Polyview was third.
The Somebeachsomewhere-Allamerican Memoir gelding made amends for a break in his last start over a sloppy surface at The Meadows. The Cup eligible, assigned odds of 55-1 in the Spring Book, is now three-for-four this year for trainer Brian Brown and owners Strollin Stable of Marion, Ohio, Aws Stables of Lima, Ohio, King McNamara of Naples, Florida, and Country Club Acres Inc. of Findlay, Ohio.
The final division went to another Brian Brown trainee, Normandy Invasion, who scorched the five-eighths mile oval with a 1:48.4 track record performance.
Normandy Invasion and Palone left from post five and forced the challenging favourite, Lonewolf Currier (Tim Tetrick), into the pocket past the :26.3 opening quarter. The 5-2 second choice sprinted through middle splits of :54.3 and 1:21 before opening up five lengths on the field down the lane to shave two-fifths of a second off Bet On The Law's track record for sophomore geldings. North America Cup eligibles Twilight Bonfire (David Miller), the 22-1 11th choice in the Spring Book, narrowed the winner's margin to two and three-quarter lengths in second while Bigrisk (Jody Jamieson), 50-1 in the Spring Book, finished third.
Normandy Invasion earned his third win in four seasonal starts and fifth lifetime. The Somebeachsomewhere-Under Your Spell gelding is owned by Country Club Acres Inc., Mike Mallett, and William J. Robinson, all of Findlay, Ohio.
In regular racing action, Amber Buter trainee Feeling You edged out Economy Terror (Jim Morrill Jr.) by a head to win Sunday's $25,000 Mares Preferred Pace in 1:50.2. Rhapsody Rose (Ron Pierce) finished nearly two lengths behind in third. Driver Tyler Buter co-owns the six-year-old Cambest mare with Oldford Farms LLC and Stephen Oldford of Michigan.