Sire Donato Hanover was the biggest All-Star on a night when state-sired two-year-old trotting fillies raced for $210,000 in Pennsylvania All-Stars competition, as he sired five of the seven winners during the Wednesday night action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The quickest of the seven winners could have been predicted by pedigree students: it was Broadway Donna, a Donato out of Broadway Schooner, a full sister to world champion Cooler Schooner, who had the harness world buzzing when she set a 1:51.3 world standard here as a two-year-old. Broadway Donna, now undefeated in three outings and two pari-mutuel starts, quarter-moved to command and won by five and three-quarter lengths in 1:55.3 for driver David Miller, trainer Jim Campbell ("Cooler’s" conditioner), and owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC.
Of all the winning trainers and drivers in the seven All-Star events, only trainer John Butenschoen tallied twice, once with a Donato. His was Twill Be Done, who took the lead past the quarter and went on to a 1:58.4 triumph for driver Mike Simons, the local “Trot Man,” who is also co-owner with Christopher Giaccio and Albert Abdala III.
Rounding out the Donato Fivesome, in order of faster clockings, were Womans Will in 1:56.4 for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller, and owner/breeders Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz; Windowshopper, who made every pole a winning one in 1:57 for trainer/driver Ray Schnittker, also co-owner with Charles Iannazzo; and Grand Canyon, home in 1:58.1 for driver John Campbell, trainer Nancy Johansson, and owner/breeder Diamond Creek.
Butenschoen’s other winner was Lookin Hanover, a daughter of Andover Hall who personally came home in :28.2 despite a first-over trip to tally in 1:58.1 for driver Corey Callahan and owners William Wiswell and M And L Of Delaware Inc. The night’s other stakes winner posted the second-fastest time among the fillies: Whitelake Hanover, a daughter of Explosive Matter who opened up an insurmountable lead down the backstretch and stopped the timer at 1:56.3 for driver Joe Pavia Jr., trainer Chris Oakes, and owners Omar Beiler, Dennis Coons, and Susan Oakes.
(PHHA / Pocono)