On Tuesday, May 22, the Jimmy Takter-trained filly Bella Glos, a daughter of Cantab Hall, dominated with Takter in the bike, winning in a new mark of 1:54.2 in her seasonal bow in one of six $20,000 divisions of the second preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for her division at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Takter tucked early, then made the start of the winning move mid-backstretch, brushing right to the lead past the three quarters and then stormed home in :27.4 to be nine-and-three-quarter lengths clear at the wire. Bella Glos looks like a much-improved filly from two to three for Takter and Black Horse Racing.
Tim Tetrick had a driving double in the Stallion Series, with the faster winner Muscle Playmate, who went coast to coast in her division, winning by two-and-three-quarter lengths while posting a personal best of 1:56.1. Marcus Melander handled the training duties for the daughter of Muscle Hill for Our Horse Cents Stable. Tetrick also won with the Explosive Matter filly Pembroke Mystery, who ground to a half-length win while taking a new speed badge of 1:56.4 for trainer Randy Bendis and owner William Varney.
The only winning favourite in the sextet of races was the Donato Hanover miss Follow Streak, who now has a winning streak of two after ruling her group by seven-and-three-quarter lengths in a personal best 1:55.1. Follow Streak, who won her Sire Stakes consolation in 2017, was driven by Andy Miller and is trained by Julie Miller for the Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Lawrence Dumain.
In the closest stallion series finish, Perfect Image generated a second siring credit for Muscle Hill when she held off the late charge of Century Express by a head in a lifetime mark of 1:56. Charlie Norris handled sulky duties for trainer Doug Snyder and owner Frank Poerio.
In the other Stallion Series division, the Muscle Massive miss Hey Judy Judy rushed to command down the back and kept a two-and-three-quarter length margin to the wire, her 1:57.1 clocking tying the mark she took in a qualifier at two, with Marcus Miller driving for father/trainer Erv Miller and Paymaq Racing.
(With files from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono)