Drivers Yannick Gingras and Tim Tetrick took down all of the big money as the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series two-year-old trotting males raced their first preliminary leg on another hot afternoon Friday, July 14 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. There were four $40,540 divisions for Sire Stakes competitors and five $20,000 sections for the complementary Stallion Series, and the winners of all races generated new lifetime marks.
Tetrick had the two fastest Sire Stakes winners. The quicker was the Father Patrick-Thatisnotmyname colt Security Protected, who fronted his field throughout in 1:56, coming the last quarter in :28.1 and needing every bit of that to resist pocket-sitter Memorynimagination by a half-length in the closest PASS cut. The Marcus Melander trainee, a fast-closing second in his only other purse start, is owned by partnership of Howard Taylor, Brad Grant and Order By Stable AB.
The Greenshoe-Cooler Schooner gelding Smart Schooner is perfect after two career starts, coming his own last quarter in :27.4 after rallying from sixth at the three-quarter pole to win in 1:56.3 for Tetrick. Jim Campbell trains the smart youngster for Fashion Farms LLC.
Gingras kicked off the day’s Sire Stakes action with another Father Patrick colt, Crown Monarch (dam Muscle Babe), who muscled home in :57.1 to complete a 1:57.2 mile, adding a Sire Stakes victory to his win in PA All-Stars competition at Pocono. Per Engblom trains the fast-developing freshman for Engblom Stable LLC, Amos Lengacher and Tomas Andersson.
The Gingras - Ron Burke pairing, with countless victorious teamings in their pasts, added another success story in the Cantab Hall-Nicoles Promise colt T C I, who followed up on a second in the Kindergarten in his betting bow with a 1:57.3 victory as a convincing pocket rocket. The Burke trainee is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables and Knox Services Inc.
Tetrick also drove the fastest Stallion Series winner, the Bar Hopping-Broadway Jo Ell gelding Executive Game, who won in 1:57.1 for trainer Jim Campbell and Runthetable Stables. Bar Hopping got another Stallion Series credit from the strong-closing Usain Hanover (dam Up Front Hotsey), a 1:59.1 winner for Enzed Racing Stable Inc in his pari-mutuel bow.
Usain Hanover had the backing of driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Nifty Norman, who also teamed with another first-time purse starter in Casanova Hall, a Greenshoe gelding out of Caterina Hall who was successful in 2:00.2 for owner David McDuffee.
The other two Stallion Series winners were piloted by Scott Zeron: a second credit for Greenshoe in the colt Dominion Day (dam Dancing For Money), a 1:58 winner for trainer Linda Toscano and owners The Bay’s Stable LLC, R-And-I Farms LLC, Dreamville Stable and Camelot Stable Inc.; and the International Moni-Queendom gelding Viktory Blue Chip in 1:58.4 for trainer Tim Twaddle and Thestable Viktorybluechip.
The focus continues on trotters the next couple of cards at Philly: Sunday’s card, starting at 12:40 p.m., will feature a $20,000 Open Handicap Trot, while next Wednesday’s 12:25 p.m. program will find the state-sired two-year-old trotting fillies coming to town. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association website.
(PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia; Photo of Crown Monarch winning on July 3 at Pocono Downs)