Papi Grad added her second success in one of three $41,096 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday evening, July 14 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, mirroring her debut with another 10-1/4-length 1:51.1 victory.
Driver Brett Miller, a former Pocono regular making his first appearance since Breeders Crown Night 2018, reserved his filly in fourth as Sweet Odds yielded the lead to Ballast by the :27.4 quarter, then stayed in as the pacesetter reached the half at :56.1. Miller gave Papi Grad the word nearing the backstretch and the filly went from four lengths back at the mid-point to a two-length lead by the 1:24.1 three-quarters, then smoked home in :27 under a good hold by the driver. Papi Grad, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Betterthangraduate, is trained by Steve Carter for Brent Hopper, Jay Mossbarger, TKO Racing Stable LLC and SCPStable&FriedlandRacing.
Tim Tetrick had his choice of fillies in the second division, opting to chose the heavily favoured Westwinds for trainer Brian Brown. Tetrick chose right as the Captaintreacherous-Muskoka Hanover miss kept her career record perfect in two starts, lowering her mark to 1:52.4. After early fractions of :28 and :57.3, Tetrick got Westwinds in good second-over position, pacing her own back half in :54.2 while advancing to and past the 1:25 three-quarters to win by 1-1/4 lengths over pacesetter Daily Double Deo for the partnership of Stambaugh Leeman Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Alan Keith and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
Captaintreacherous added a second sire credit in the other All-Stars section, as Lily White Hanover — dam Lillian Hanover, and thus a sister to Saturday night's Meadowlands Pace winner Legendary Hanover — benefitted from a clever Jason Bartlett drive to make her purse bow a winning one in 1:53.2. Lily White Hanover sat fourth through fractions of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:24.4, then when the pocket horse faded on the far turn, Bartlett was able to dip her to the inside from second-over, and the Pocono Pike proved the route of success by a length over Gingertree Brenasu. Andrew Harris trains the $350,000 yearling acquisition, who completed an All-Stars sweep by the chalk horses, for himself and his primary owners William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
The racing week closes out with 1 p.m. cards Monday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 16, with trotters featured the first day and pacers the second.
(PHHA / Pocono Downs)