EZ Passer stands alone atop the Pennsylvania Stallion Series three-year-old trotting filly rankings after overcoming post nine to win her division of the third Stallion Series prelim leg Monday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, keeping her undefeated in the competition after a trio of starts.
Jeff Gregory sent the daughter of Crazed right to the top despite the outermost stating slot and maintained control throughout, winning by 1-3/4 lengths over pocket sitting Decadence and stopping the timer in 1:55.1, fastest clocking in all of the six divisions. Mark Harder is the conditioner of EZ Passer for owner Joseph Jannuzzeli as she boosted her earnings over six figures to $106,588.
The only other double winner entering Monday’s Pocono action was Canwood, but after opening up a sizable lead on the final turn this filly had to settle for third behind the Cantab Hall filly Ellerie Hanover, who was victorious in 1:56.2. Andrew McCarthy rallied the winner to the victory for trainer Anette Lorentzon and the SRF Stable; she now has two Stallion Series wins after trying the Sire Stakes horses in the first leg but making a break.
Following the same racing pattern as Ellerie Hanover – breaking in the Sire Stakes in leg one, and now winning two straight at the Stallion level – was the Lucky Chucky filly Lexi Marie, who moved to the lead past the quarter and went on to a 1:57 triumph for driver David Miller, trainer Trond Smedshammer, and owner Diane Giuliano.
David Miller posted a driving double in the Stallion Series action with one of two victorious daughters of Muscle Massive, Onda Su, who like EZ Passer didn’t let a little thing like post nine deter her, coming home as a pocket rocket for a 1:57 victory for trainer Jim Campbell and owners Fred and Shirley Schwartz and the Onda Racing Stable LLC.
The other Muscle Massive winner was Itsgoodtobequeen, who enjoyed a pocket trip then burst home to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:56, knocking five seconds off her lifetime mark. Marcus Miller had sulky duty behind the winner for owners Jon Erdner, Martin Garey, and Henry Wieseneck.
The “Queen” was a 13-1 upsetter for trainer Doug Hamilton; the veteran Hamilton came back in the last of the six divisions to post a 10-1 upset with Out Of Luck, who gave Lucky Chucky a siring double. Out Of Luck closed well from second-over to hold off the horse on her back, 94-1 Ridge Speed, by 1-1/4 lengths in a 1:57 victory for driver Jim Marohn, Jr. and owners Sandbur Farms, Valarie Sutton, and Joseph Hemingway.
(PHHA / Pocono)