On Saturday afternoon, June 22 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, a brief but intense downpour came in the middle of the second preliminary round action of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series for three-year-old pacing fillies, but the quality of the top misses still shone through.
No filly turned in a brighter performance – or a faster time -- than My Girl EJ, a daughter of Sweet Lou and the Breeders Crown winner last year, who won her Sire Stakes division with an exceptional 1:49.2 performance with the track rated “sloppy +1.” Dexter Dunn sent the winner of $830,406 wide early then took a tuck fourth while Caviart Belle moved past a :26.4 quarter to the lead and registered mid-race fractions of :54.4 and 1:21.4 with Dunn and “EJ” beginning to advance uncovered towards the last-named station. Caviart Belle held well, but My Girl EJ was just too tough late, coming her last quarter in :26.4 to win by three parts of a length over the pacesetter for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Elizabeth Novak and Mitchell Friesen.
The other divisions of the Sire Stakes, worth over $68,000 each, both went in 1:50.3, and both winners got new marks. Sweet Lou got a second Sire Stakes siring credit when Asweetbeachhere sat in the two-hole behind fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:23.1 (track still fast), then came up the Pocono Pike and just nipped first-over Flawless by a nose, with pacesetter Dandys Mercy just a half-length further back in third. David Miller drove the filly for trainer Andrew Harris, the latter also co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
The surface had rebounded to “good +1” by the time the Captaintreacherous filly Rocket Deo remained undefeated in four 2024 races while also becoming the only double Sire Stakes winner in this grouping. Rocket Deo was last in the field of five through early times of :26.4 and :55.3, then paced her third quarter in :26.4 uncovered to reach contention by the 1:23.1 three-quarters. From there, the game sophomore went on to take stretch command then hold off the onrushing Miki In Luv by a head for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling and the combine of Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding.
Parkavenuelisa and Davenport both doubled up in their Stallion Series races, both winning in 1:52.2. The Heston Blue Chip miss Parkavenuelisa overcame a 36-day layoff to be a safe winner for driver David Miller, trainer Linda Toscano and Bay Pond Racing Stable and Let It Ride Stables Inc. The rainstorm came down during Davenport’s race, making the track “sloppy +2” for her mile, but the Captain Crunch filly was unfazed in tallying for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling and Diamond Creek Racing.
The fastest winner in the Stallion Series was the Stay Hungry filly Lyons Legend, digging in late to hit the wire first in 1:50.3 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., and Threelyonsracing. And the only Stallion Series winner to take a new mark was another daughter of Stay Hungry, Chapanecas, who won a three-way late duel in 1:51.3 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley and owner W. J. Donovan.
Deserving of a mention among the stakes fillies is the Papi Rob Hanover-Dagnabit Hanover freshman gelding Dreamboat Hanover, who stretched a 1-1/4-length lead at the half to a 12-length crushing at the finish in 1:52.2. Dreamboat Hanover had gone 1:54.2 in his only qualifying line, and obviously hopes are high for the Team Schadel pupil, whom Todd drives, his son Cody trains, and Todd co-owns with his wife Christine, Timothy Hayes and Dr. Megan Moschgat.
No horseman had more the two winners on the card, but there were eight doublers, including many stakes winners: Matt Kakaley, Andrew McCarthy, David Miller and George Napolitano Jr. among the drivers, and Jenn Bongiorno, Ron Burke, Jeff Cullipher and Brett Pelling on the training side.
Racing continues on Sunday, June 23 at 6 p.m., with 1 p.m. cards slated for Monday and Tuesday.
(PHHA / Pocono)