Evaluate edged to the front off a fast pace to post the fastest trotting mile of the season in North America on a five-eighths mile track, winning the first of three divisions of the $171,290 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:51.4 on Saturday, May 26.
Driver Corey Callahan kept Evaluate in third behind a contested pace of :27.3 and :55.4, then moved him uncovered at five-eighths to challenge favourite Captain Morgan. Evaluate proved strong in the stretch despite the raw overland journey, going by one-and-one-quarter lengths as he scored his third win out of six starts lifetime for trainer Marcus Melander and Stall TZ Inc in the career-best performance.
Callahan won a second Sire Stakes division as Whats The Word won his third in a row with trotting hopples and his second straight in 2018 Sire Stakes races while recording a personal best of 1:53.2. The Cantab Hall gelding brushed to command in front of the stands, then strolled clear at the wire for trainer Janice Connor, who co-owns with the Arden Homestead Stable.
The third winner in Sires competition is probably the best-known of the three: the Muscle Hill colt and 2017 Peter Haughton winner You Know You Do, who also posted a lifetime record of 1:53.2. The $350,000 yearling, making his seasonal debut after earning almost $375,000 at two, brushed to the lead under the wire the first time for driver Yannick Gingras and kicked home with ease for trainer Jimmy Takter and owners Howard Taylor, the Order By Stable, Bud Hatfield, and Marvin Katz, AL Libfeld and Sam Goldband.
In the $21,500 featured pace for older horses, Lawrencetown Beach was involved in a searing half, yet still had enough to rally out of the pocket to nose out closing Maxdaddy Blue Chip in 1:49 – a lifetime best. After leaving in a :26.2 quarter then pushing a foe to a :53.2 half, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding sat patiently in the pocket past the three-quarter pole in 1:20.4, came out at headstretch and paced to the lead, then just photoed the charging Maxdaddy Blue Chip for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable LLC, and Phil Collura.
Walks Of Life reclaimed the title as winningest harness horse in North America this year with his 13th victory of 2018. The fast and game Walks Of Life, a gelded son of Western Ideal, paced a career-best 1:50.4 in his 13th win in 19 starts this season and changed hands for the tenth-straight start via claim. Driver George Napolitano Jr., who won six races on the card, and trainer Hunter Oakes along with owner Northfork Racing Stable, were the winning connections behind the durable sidewheeler Saturday – in his next start, he’ll have his third segment with Team Allard.
(With files from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono)