The chalk went 0-for-3 in the third preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts Sunday night (June 12) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with each of the trio of winners taking a new lifetime mark.
Love Matters ($6.80 as the second choice) was the first to find the sire stakes winner's circle, and he had the hardest trip of the three winners, having to go first-over against favoured Milligans School. But the son of Explosive Matter handled the raw journey with aplomb for driver Brett Miller, winning by two and a half lengths for trainer Jimmy Takter and owners Christina Takter, Brixton Medical Inc., John Fielding, and Herb Liverman. In a rare occurrence, the judges were directly involved in determining the order of finishers two through seven: Taco Tuesday and Desert Runner finished in a dead-heat for second; Milligans School was just behind them in fourth, in addition to making a brief stretch break, with the judges determining no violation there; and then Stoneridge Combat, who went under the wire fifth, was adjudged guilty of interference and was placed seventh, resulting in Cloud Nine Hanover and Sliding Home moving up a notch in the placings.
Trolley returned $28.20 to win in matching Love Matters’ 1:54.4 clocking, despite the fact that he was coming off a stakes win at Pocono. Well...maybe the fact that that victory was 350 days ago had something to do with the price, but the Donato Hanover colt showed no ill effects after his layoff since June 28 of last year, following his second race, utilizing the Pocono Pike to get by pacesetting Cufflink Hanover and edge first-over Lagerfeld by a neck, with “Cufflink” only another half-length back in third. Marcus Miller, who had driven four winners earlier in the day at Philly (including a $74.80 winner on a day where longshots ruled in eastern Pennsylvania), was in the sulky for father/trainer Erv and owners Paymaq Racing, Leland Mathias, Greg Gillis, and Louis Willinger.
Despite going off at 5-2 (fourth), 2-5 (third), and even-money (second) in his last three starts, Hititoutofthepark was dismissed as a $33.40 shot in the third division, but he posted the fastest winning time of all, 1:54.2, rolling to the top past the quarter and going on to a two-length victory over Hollywood Highway. The victorious Yankee Glide ridgling, who was guided by Corey Callahan for trainer John Butenschoen and owners Give It A Shot Stable, Kurt Welling, and the VIP Internet Stable LLC, was also overlooked in his last start at Pocono -- a Pennsylvania All-Stars event on Kentucky Derby afternoon, when he won and returned $30.60.
The Cash Hall gelding Cash Me Out is now a winner of two straight (both locally) and six out of his last 10 trips behind the gate after taking the $25,000 Winners Over Trot in 1:54. Andrew McCarthy and Cash Me Out left in :26.4 to ensure prime early position, yielded to Wind Of The North and sat well-placed as that one and first-over favourite Rose Run Parker battled, then shot the Pocono Pike en route to winning for trainer Kyle Spagnola and owner Traylor Racing LLC.
(PHHA/Pocono)