Real Infusion idled outside for much of the first quarter, then kicked it into high gear to capture a division of Thursday’s $120,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event at The Meadows in a stake-fastest 1:51.3
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The stake for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers was contested over six divisions, with E Z Noah, Im Just Cruisin, Atta Boy Dan, Top Of The Mark and Wahine taking the other $20,000 splits. Dave Palone scored in five of the six divisions; his six wins on the day pushed his career total to 15,109 as he chases Herve Filion’s North American record of 15,180.
Trainer Rich Gillock and owner Harry Locke enjoyed a stake double with Real Infusion and Top Of The Mark.
Real Infusion let the dust settle before charging to the lead for Palone. He was much the best from there, notching his second straight stallion series victory and missing Panesthetic’s stake record by a tick. Early leader Danger Hi Joltage finished second, seven lengths back, with long shot Mcjestic third.
“He kept getting sick last year for us, but this year he’s in good shape,” said Gillock of the son of Real Desire-Cosmic Express. “He’s not staked heavily, but Harry just looks for good racehorses. We may try him in the sires stakes one time.”
E Z Noah also had a demanding opening panel, on the outside in :26.3, but he was well in control en route to a 2-1/4-length triumph — his fourth straight win and second consecutive stallion series victory. He prevailed for Palone in 1:52.2 over Rage N Ryan and Blueridge Dancer.
“You never want to go that fast the first quarter, but that’s kind of where he needed to be. You stay out of trouble that way,” said John Butenschoen, who conditions the Western Terror-Her Mattjesty gelding for VIP Internet Stable and Baron Racing Stable. “He’s really filled out. He likes to eat, and he likes his job.”
Im Just Cruisin retook the lead for Palone at the quarter and held on late to defeat Lindwood Player in 1:52.4. Carols Comet completed the trifecta.
“I raced him earlier this year; he really liked to leave, and I didn’t trust the other horses to get me where I had to go,” Palone said. “I was actually able to get a third-quarter breather, which you can’t get here very often. I got to walk him up the backside, which helped our cause.”
Ron Burke trains Im Just Cruisin, a son of Yankee Cruiser-Misnomer, for Richard Latessa.
Elsewhere on the card, Sharp Edge, who had been scratched sick twice in the last month, showed what he can do when healthy. In a conditioned trot, he blazed to a front-end victory in 1:52.2, matching Rembrandt Spur’s all-age track record and establishing a new Meadows mark for older horses. It also equals the fastest trotting mile this year in North American harness racing. Tony Hall, who enjoyed a four-bagger on the 16-race card, piloted the winner for trainer Bruce Riegle. Robert Kauffman owns Sharp Edge, a five-year-old son of Jailhouse Jesse-Ten Queens.
Friday’s card at The Meadows features three divisions of the Bye Bye Byrd, a $281,335 PA Sires Stake for sophomore colt and gelding pacers that marks the 2012 Meadows debut of world champion Sweet Lou, last year’s two-year-old Dan Patch awardee. Sweet Lou goes from post 5 in the second split, Race 4. First post is 6:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)