Idol and Smooth Silver were the fastest three-year-old pacing fillies in winning two of five divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Tuesday, June 23 at Pocono Downs.
In the opening division, carrying a purse of $49,878, Greg Grismore came from off the pace to win with Idol in 1:51.4 for trainer Jim Pollock, Jr. This was the second straight win for Idol, a Sharky Spur filly which was coming off a 1:54.3 win at the Meadows. Just Heavenly (driven by Daniel Dube) just missed in finishing second with third-place going to Gordyyys Pet (Yannick Gingras).
Race favourite Pedigree Snob (Tim Tetrick) finished fifth to Idol.
Smooth Silver, a three-year-old Western Hanover filly driven by Tetrick, also produced a 1:51.4 sire stakes win in the fourth division. Tetrick made a big first-over move down the backstretch and blew by frontrunner Cams Van Go (Jim Morrill, Jr.) and won by four lengths over Hatsaway (Andrew McCarthy) with Cams Van Go third.
Erv Miller trains Smooth Silver, a winner of two of 10 starts this season.
Joe Pavia, Jr. drove Billie Bluechip, another Western Hanover filly, to a victory in the second split of the sire stakes. Leaving from the eight hole, Pavia, Jr. got good position early on and sat second behind favourite Racing Star (Yannick Gingras). Pavia, Jr., who also trains Billy Bluechip, took to the 'Pocono Pike' (passing lane) to beat Racing Star to the wire in 1:53.2 with Attitude Hanover (Tetrick) finishing third in the race.
Billie Bluechip also won a sire stakes this year at the Meadows, overcoming the eight hole, too.
Gingras drove My Lady Bonnard to her fourth consecutive victory in the third sire stakes division. She went wire to wire from Post 6 to garner her fifth win in nine starts this season. Ron Burke trains this Real Artist filly which was winning in 1:53.3 with second-place going to 1-5 favourite Kiss Me Kate (Jim Morrill, Jr.). Two Steppin Sally (Charlie Norris) finished third in the division.
Jimmy Takter-trained Western Hanover filly Im Not Gonna Lie (Daniel Dube) won the fifth division of the sire stakes in 1:53.3. All-American Tout (Daryl Bier) was second with Surveille Hanover (Morrill, Jr.) getting third.
With files from Pocono)