Unperturbed when her cover broke stride down the backside, first-time starter Caviart Guilia calmly continued her pursuit and captured a division of Monday’s $60,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series at The Meadows.
The event for freshman filly trotters was contested over three divisions, with Path Of Totality and Friday Night Storm taking the other splits.
Caviart Guilia was following the favourite, Rebecca Clark, when that one made an unforced error. The disruption gave winning driver Tony Hall a moment’s concern.
“I was looking forward to the cover,” Hall said, “and when it didn’t work out, I was worried about the way she would react. But she’s very professional. She took it well. For a green filly, I thought she was great.”
The daughter of Explosive Matter-Gossip Hanover reacted like a veteran, wearing down the leader, Alittlebitofsugar, and downing her by a head in 1:58.3, with Jean Jeanie third. Brian Brown trains Caviart Guilia for Caviart Farms.
Path Of Totality, another first-time starter, also endured a challenging trip, as she was parked out most of the backside before finding the cones for a breather. She rallied again for Anthony MacDonald and scored in 1:58.3, a head better than the fast-closing Saratoga Gia. Moondust earned show.
“She’s a hard worker,” MacDonald said of the $10,000 yearling acquisition. “I was tempted to put her in the sires stake, but mentally, she’s not quite there yet. Today was leaps and bounds her best performance.”
Tim Twaddle conditioned the daughter of Donato Hanover-Headintheclouds for Thestable Pathof Totality.
Friday Night Storm trotted patiently in the pocket, then roared through the Lightning Lane to triumph in 2:00.3 for Dan Rawlings, trainer Ray Romanetti and owners Lori Romanetti and Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras. Reining Flowers was second, beaten a neck, while Ms Mischief Maker completed the ticket.
“She seems to do all her work and wants to do it,” Rawlings said. “That’s the biggest thing. You can train all you want, but you can’t make heart. That’s what she’s got. She’s a little, tiny thing, but she wants to do her job.”
In the $18,000 Open 1 Handicap Trot, Barn Girl thwarted the first-over bid of 4-5 favourite Classicality and prevailed in 1:53.2. Aaron Merriman piloted the seven-year-old daughter of Cash Hall-Turquoise Sweetie, who won for the 59th time in her career and pushed her lifetime bankroll to $782,568, for trainer Bill Bercury and owner Renee Bercury.
Dave Palone and Mike Wilder each collected three victories on the 13-race program.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday, when the card features a $190,900 PA Sires Stake for two-year-old filly trotters. First post is 1:05 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)