The Always B Miki gelding Serious Miki served notice that he deserves serious consideration on the national sophomore pacing colt radar when he defeated Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner Literl Lad Hanover in 1:51.4 on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia in one of three $12,600 featured events.
Serious Miki and meet-leading driver Tim Tetrick rushed around Literl Lad Hanover well before a :27.3 quarter, then got to the half in a very easy :57. From there it was all over but the shouting, as Serious Miki went to the three-quarters in 1:24.3, saw the pocket sitter pull on the far turn to challenge, but then left him behind by 3-1/4 lengths with a :27.1 last quarter.
Serious Miki came to the barn of Scott Di Domenico before his May 25 start and has already posted three sub-1:52 miles for his new trainer, two with :27.1 last quarters. Serious Miki may well be giving serious thoughts to trying the Sire Stakes horses at The Meadows next Saturday for owners Emerald Highlands Farm, Triple D Stables Inc and M G Stable Inc.
The trotting section of the features brought together the 2020 New York Sire Stakes baby colt champion (Steel) and a New Jersey Sire Stakes filly winner this year (Material Girl), but they had to settle for second and third, respectively, behind the Readly Express sophomore colt Colonial AS IT, who equalled his mark of 1:54.1.
Unraced until debuting with a third on May 6, the youngster has since reeled off four straight wins, including three in this class (and he still has one more race of eligibility at this level!). Yannick Gingras drove the impressive three-year-old for trainer Per Engblom and Buckstone Land Livestock.
In the feature section for pacing distaffs, Northern Storm, who had won her last start in 1:49.4 at The Meadowlands, was going along well on the lead, with Uptown Hanover right behind, when the pacesetter made a break just past the three-quarters. Driver Gingras did well to get Uptown Hanover around the miscuer, and the Somebeachsomewhere filly came home with no further problem to reduce her mark to 1:52.
The track’s top trainer, Ron Burke, conditions the filly for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
(PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia)