Last season's freshman star Captain Crunch resurfaced on a sloppy night with a 1:49.1 victory in the second preliminary of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday, May 19.
The 2018 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes-champion Proof left hard from an outside post to clear to the lead just after the :27 quarter while driver Scott Zeron cued Captain Crunch and powered to the lead before reaching the half in :55.2.
Southwind Ozzi, a first-round PASS winner, made a bold move from fifth to challenge the leader towards the 1:23.1 three-quarters. But, without a race in 145 days and over an off going, Captain Crunch charged home with a :26 blitz under minimal encouragement. Southwind Ozzi, the second choice, held second a length in front of third-choice Proof.
The Captaintreacherous colt equaled his lifetime mark while posting the fastest mile of the young season by a three-year-old on any size of oval. Nancy Johansson trains the divisional favourite and winner of $645,322 for 3 Brothers Stable, Christina Takter, Rojan Stables, and Caviart Farms.
Workin Ona Mystery, another Captaintreacherous colt, looks like a possible contender to Captain Crunch after scoring in his PASS division with a 1:49.3 win to equal his career best.
Driver Tim Tetrick reserved his colt in fourth as Love Me Some Lou needed most of the :26.4 quarter to make the top. Workin Ona Mystery then quickly moved and worked his way to command, but got a very hard challenge from 40-1 Volley Ball Beach as he recovered from a miscue to race alongside thorugh a :54.2 half. The longshot took a short lead through the backstretch before his bid ended just past a 1:21.4 third quarter.
Despite the hard middle half, nobody could get near Workin Ona Mystery late, with Love Me Some Lou four-and-three-quarter lengths back at the wire. The Brian Brown trainee competes for owners Diamond Creek Racing, Stambaugh Leeman Stable, Alan Keith and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
The third division of PASS produced the only non-favourite in the Sires and Stallion Series events as 6-5 “longshot” Wild Wild Western, a Western Ideal colt who was unraced at two, now has a 10-6-4-0 scorecard at three after equaling his mark of 1:52.
Driver Mike Wilder brushed the Norm Parker trainee to top after a :26.3 opener and put up middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24. He then held off two late threats in the open stretch: 26-1 Caviart Stetson in second and Semi Tough in third, both a neck back at the wire. Even-money favourite Major Deception was another half length behind the top trio.
Wild Wild Western is owned by Jacobs Creek Racing LLC, Andrew Altobelli, and John Deters.
Fastest of the four Stallion Series winners was the Sweet Lou gelding Warrawee Unique, who got the evening off to a fast start by posting a lifetime best of 1:50.2 while equaling the fastest mile in his division this season. Warrawee Unique made two moves to control the pace for driver Yannick Gingras, then used :27.2 back quarters to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Crawford Farms, and J&T Silva– Purnel & Libby.
The Captaintreacherous colt Odds On Boca Raton had the biggest win margin in the Stallion Series competition, coming home first by four lengths in 1:51.1 for driver Andrew McCarthy. The Tony Alagna trainee races for Odds On Racing.
U S Captain failed to lower his lifetime best over the sloppy track, but still won with a 1:51.1 final clocking. Andrew McCarthy and Tony Alagna combined again with a developing colt, as the son of Captaintreacherous went winless last year but showed his mettle when withstanding a tough Stienams Beach by three-quarter lengths for Brittany Farms LLC, Brad Grant, Joseph Barbera, and U S Captain Racing.
The first three Stallion Series winners were all six-figure yearlings with glittering maternal sides. The final Stallion Series winner, the Sweet Lou gelding Skip To My Lou, is the only one of the four to have two Stallion Series victories to his 2019 credit.
Like every other stakes winner tonight, Skip To My Lou moved to the lead in the second quarter and controlled the remaineder through the stretch with Rockme Rollme finishing a half length behind in second. Eric Goodell piloted the winner to a 1:51 lifetime best for trainer Robert Cleary and owner Royal Wire Products Inc.
(with files from PHHA/Pocono)