Rodeo Drive Deo reversed the Fan Hanover Stakes order of finish over freshman champion Miki And Minnie on an outstanding card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 21 as three-year-old pacing fillies gathered to contest $313,838 in the second preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series action.
In the $75,838 first division, Miki And Minnie (Dexter Dunn) got away fourth in a field of seven, with Rodeo Drive Deo right behind her, as Cant See Me (Todd McCarthy) made the lead around Who Are You (Mike Whelan) at the :27.1 opener, with Stevie Hanover (George Napolitano Jr.) settling third. The pace was backed off to :56.3 at the half, at which point Stevie Hanover came out uncovered, with Miki And Minnie and Rodeo Drive Deo second- and third-over respectively.
As the field reached the three-quarters in 1:23.2, Dexter Dunn tipped Miki And Minnie three-wide and quickly circled her rival to be two-wide; Rodeo Drive Deo and Dave Miller followed her in the three-path then continued out wide building momentum. Miki And Minnie made the lead in early stretch, but the Captaintreacherous-Miss L A filly Rodeo Drive Deo had dead aim, and she had a bit quicker of a last 1/16th of a mile to nab that rival and take the victory by a head in 1:51. Cant See Me finished third.
Rodeo Drive Deo scored her third win of the year in six outings, and Miki And Minnie (despite pacing her last half in :53.3) tasted her first defeat after opening with three straight victories. Ron Burke conditions Rodeo Drive Deo, who boosted her earnings to $716,932 in her seventh win in 17 lifetime starts, for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Beasty LLC, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. (An oddity: the winner paid $7.60 for a $2 win bet, but the $2 exacta with the favourite underneath returned only $7.40.)
The winners in the PaSS first leg, Asphalt and Good As You, were both in the second $75,838 PASS division Saturday, but they had to settle for second and third, respectively, behind Papi Grad, a Papi Rob Hanover-Betterthangraduate filly who reported home first nicely for driver McCarthy in a career-best 1:50.
Papi Grad, second to Asphalt in her seasonal bow on June 7, was second choice at even-money to the latter's 4-5, and after yielding the early lead in a :26.4 first quarter, the eventual winner circled the chalk to a :54.4 half, with Good As You (Andrew McCarthy) coming up first-over. The last-named gained but could not sustain past a 1:22.2 three-quarters, and Papi Grad still had enough to defeat Asphalt (Tim Tetrick) by 1-1/2 lengths. The winner returned $4.20.
Papi Grad, now seven-for-12 lifetime with a bankroll of $442,889, is trained by Steve Carter for Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hopper, TKO Racing Stable LLC, and Scpstable&Friedlandracing.
Battle of Lake Erie champ Ken Hanover has now won his last four starts, all in a clocking of 1:48.3 – first Pocono, then Philly, then Northfield, and Saturday back at Pocono while winning the $33,784 Winners Over Handicap Pace. Miller inserted the son of Captaintreacherous-Kjs Justine midpack from the outside post seven, then moved with cover mid-backstretch. Ken Hanover tipped wide nearing headstretch and went by the resilient pacesetter Spring Inhis Step A (Tetrick) to win by three-quarters of a length. Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras) was third.
Ken Hanover, a five-year-old career winner of $918,441 with 17 victories in 48 starts, is trained by Roland “Polie” Mallar, who also co-owns him with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan, and Dennis Osterholt.
The Huntsville-Admirals Choice gelding Hazeville shipped in from Yonkers for a $16,892 overnight race and never looked back: after going amazing fractions of :25.3, :53.4, and 1:20.2, he kept on rolling and crossed the wire in 1:47.4, setting a new lifetime mark and tying with Southwind Gendry for quickest mile of the year at Pocono. He missed Bigtime Hero’s 11-year-old track record for older pacing geldings by a single tick. Da Delightful (Jim Pantaleano) was best of the rest, 4-3/4 lengths back in second, while Oakwood Paddy Ir (Jack Pelling) finished third.
Napolitano had the best view of the fantastic mile behind the Tom Fanning-trained winner, who is owned by David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and Howard Taylor. Hazeville, a six-year-old, is now 17-for-77 lifetime with $377,443 in earnings.
The Always B Miki-Somebeachsomedawn filly Always Dawn became the only Stallion Series double winner when she captured the first of six $27,027 divisions in a lifetime mark of 1:51. Matron winner Faze (Tetrick) was favoured in her seasonal debut and indeed had her chance up the Pocono Pike, but Always Dawn, uncovered from mid-backstretch, kept on grinding and out-photoed the chalk by a head for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Anthony Beaton (now with two Stallion Series wins with the filly since she came into his barn), and owner Leo Fleming. Strange Summer (Todd McCarthy) was third.
Both Andrew McCarthy and his brother Todd won two Stallion Series divisions (Todd of course also winning in the Sire Stakes), each with one win in 1:50.4, the fastest clocking in this segment. Andrew’s came with a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Always Giggling, Gigglingonthebeach, who despite not having raced in 40 days took a new speed badge for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm. She prevailed by two lengths over Pilar Hanover (Tetrick) with Odds On Aces Full (Todd McCarthy) third.
Todd’s victory in 1:50.4 also established a lifetime best for Au Jus Hanover, a daughter of Stay Hungry-Always True who made her first start for trainer Andrew Harris a winning one. The filly was 5-1/2 lengths the best over Lyons Benz (Tetrick), followed by Fancy Like Louuuuu (Dunn). She is owned by Casie Coleman, Dumain Haven Farm LLC, Mac Nichol, and Kevin McKinlay.
Todd also won with a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Stacia Hanover, Simply Perfect, who is trained by Tony Alagna for the team of Pryde Stables Inc., Steven and Michele Head, and Caviart Farms. This one went her fastest winning race mile of 1:51.4, although she did qualify in 1:51.2 at two. Act Classy (Dunn) was beaten a length in second with Shangri La Hanover (Scott Zeron) in third.
If your last name wasn’t McCarthy, the way to the Stallion Series winners circle was with a longshot. The Tall Dark Stranger-Catamaran Fashion filly Ballast returned $62.80 after lowering her best to 1:51 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and EVM Racing LLC. Kiki Lou Kiki (Gingras), 1-1/2 lengths back of the winner, took the place spot over Found (Pelling).
Beyonsay Yankee (Stay Hungry-Bootleg Yankee), driven by Miller, hit all the right notes in paying $44.80 for trainer-owner Mark Silva while earning her sire another Stallion Series credit with a 1:52.2 score by a half-length over Royally Hot (Tetrick) and Beach Rules (Zeron).
Miller wound up with a winner in every “column” – Sire Stakes, Stallion Series, fast-class pace, and overnight race – to top all drivers on the day with four victories.
Driver Tyler Buter entered the card needing one win in two drives to reach 5,000 career victories, and he got it done immediately. After taking a tuck in third, the reinsman sent Borninlockdown Gb to the front in the second panel, and the five-year-old gelding gave nothing to T H Tyson (Jim Pantaleano) down the stretch to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:48.2.
Buter, who made his driving debut in 2002, reached 5,000 wins in 37,002 starts. He is coming off a career year in which he blew away his previous best in earnings with more than $8.2 million and attained his highest win total since 2009. The resident of Milford, Pa. is a regular at Pocono but plies his trade at tracks across Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
The Sunday, June 22 card (first post 6:30 p.m.) at Pocono is headlined by a $25,000 USD fast-class handicap trot, with Southwind Coors, second to Aetos Kronos S here last week, assigned the outside post in the field of six. There will also be a carryover into the last race High 5 pool.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)