Impressive in his stakes debut, Rush In pulled the pocket early, blazed home and scored in the opening leg of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old male pacers on Saturday, May 4 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Captain Fear Not and Booming Economy captured the other $70,215 divisions.
Rush In was stalking Timeisonmyside, who was pursuing his sixth straight victory, when Dave Palone sent him after the leader. The son of Heston Blue Chip-Crimson Tide knifed through the slop and downed Timeisonmyside by 1-1/2 lengths, with Solid Character third. The stakes-fastest time of 1:50.1 is a new lifetime mark for Rush In.
“He didn’t race at two,” said Linda Toscano, who trains the homebred Rush In for Let It Ride Stables, Odds On Racing, South Mountain Stables and Island Run Stable. “He had a little colt soreness, so we shut him down and brought him back early. We raced him a couple times at The Meadowlands for education. He’s handy. He’ll pretty much race off the pace, first up — he doesn’t care. We’ll let him tell us where he should race.”
Captain Fear Not led every step, but it took vigorous urging by Jeremy Indof to get him home for owner/trainer Kathe Troy in 1:51.2.
“That’s how Kathe asked him to be driven, so I figured that’s what I’d do,” Indof said of the Captain Crunch-Mikayla Rose gelding. “He’s a little lazy on the front end, but when you ask him to do his work, he does it. When you keep at him, he goes.”
Solar Solution was three-quarters of a length back in second while Lyons Benjamin completed the ticket.
Mike Wilder, on the other hand, was not at all surprised when Booming Economy launched the decisive stretch kick that carried him to victory in 1:51.4.
“He looks like he has a lot of class about him,” said Wilder. “His manners were terrific. When I turned him on, he was really nice. I drove him with two fingers, and when I called on him, he exploded.”
Tenacious Hanover finished 1-1/2 lengths back in second, with Hugh Heston third.
Ron Burke conditions the son of Captaintreacherous-Economy Terror, who pushed his lifetime earnings to $203,298, for Judith Taylor, Chuck Pompey and Edwin Gold.
PA Stallion Series — Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pacers
Copperfield, Ante Up Hanover and Women Layer took the $27,397 splits in Saturday’s sub-feature, a Pennsylvania Stallion Series event for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.
Copperfield outkicked the favourite, Dream Bird in the lane for Indof, trainer Noel Daley and owner William Donovan, downing Dream Bird by 1-1/4 lengths in a career-best 1:52.2. Single Action was third.
“Noel asked me if I’d put him in play,” Indof said of the Betting Line-American Charm gelding. “He was aggressive off the gate, then when I got him in the two-hole, he relaxed perfectly for me. He raced like a veteran. I was very happy with him.”
In Saturday’s $29,041 Open Handicap Pace, Macadoodledoo moved relentlessly first over to spring the 20-1 upset for Justin Irvine, trainer Todd Luther and owner Greg Luther Racing LLC. The nine-year-old Somebeachsomewhere-Pirouette Hanover gelding prevailed in 1:50.4 and now boasts a career bankroll of $458,041. Wild Wild Western and Dragon City rounded out the ticket. It was the first Meadows win in the career of the 22-year-old Irvine.
Palone collected five wins and Wilder four on the 14-race card.
Live harness racing at The Meadows resumes on Wednesday, May 8 with a first post of 12:45 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)