Yesterday at the Meadows, Hokie Spirit, racing confidently with her new blinkers, won for the sixth time in eight seasonal starts, as she captured the fastest division of a $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stakes event for three-year-old pacing fillies.
The event was contested over five divisions, with Do Me First, Sugarcoated, Princessofdarkness and Mano Cornuto taking the other splits. Mike Wilder fashioned a stake driving double with Hokie Spirit and Princessofdarkness.
Hokie Spirit donned blinkers for her last outing, a Stallion Series victory at Pocono Downs. Wilder indicated the new equipment complements her gameness.
“She really responded well to the blinkers,” Wilder said. “Not that she ever raced bad, but we just switched her up. When she can see a horse coming at her, she really bears down.”
On Wednesday, Hokie Spirit made a decisive quarter-pole move and scored in 1:53.2, three lengths better than Free Fi Girl. RM Morning Sunshine was a rallying third. Dan Altmeyer trains Hokie Spirit, a homebred daughter of Dragon Again-Yankee Fresca, for Ron Mersky.
Do Me First was winless in 11 races at two, which prompted trainer Al Tomlinson to adjust her shoeing.
“Whatever we did, it’s working,” Tomlinson said. “I don’t know if she’s sires stake material, but she fits the Stallion Series. I’ll probably try to give her a start before the next Stallion Series stake.”
She found late racing room yesterday and brushed by early leader O Lucky Me to down that rival by a length in 1:53.4, her third win in her last five outings. Discoverer finished third. Tomlinson and Engle Equine own the daughter of Allamerican Ingot--Do Me Right.
Sugarcoated trailed by four lengths at the half when Ray Paver sent her on a determined uncovered bid. She kept right on pacing, scoring in 1:54.2. Farouche Hanover was second, three lengths in arrears, with Carrie Ann third.
“I let all those guys in front of me, thinking somebody would pop out,” Paver said. “I realized going down the backside nobody was coming. But I had her for a couple starts earlier this year, and I knew she could get home.”
Ray Schnittker trains the daughter of The Panderosa--Town Sweetheart for Steve Jones.
Two-Year-old Also In Action
Hasty Pulse, a stakes winner at first asking, continued her progression Wednesday at the Meadows, as she captured a division of a $298,316 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies in 1:53.2, which equalled the stakes record.
The event, known as the Sand Tart, was conducted over six divisions, with Whatrugonnado, Nutmegs Yankee, Safe Bet Hanover, Show And Tell and Hi Maintenancechic taking the other splits. Eric Ledford enjoyed a stakes driving double with Whatrugonnado and Hi Maintenancechic.
Hasty Pulse, a daughter of Quik Pulse Mindale--Hasty Dewar who launched her career with a pocket-sitting victory in the Reynolds at Pocono, took matters into her own hands in the Sand Tart, scoring wire to wire for Dave Palone. Her time matched the stakes record set by Ginger And Fred in 2008 and equaled the fastest mile this year by a freshman filly pacer on a five-eighths-mile track.
“She has a good attitude and a nice way of going,” said Ron Burke, who trains Hasty Pulse for Winbak Farm. “So far, the Quik Pulse Mindales look like they’ll be quality. It looks like something I would have held against her is actually a bonus.”
The pocket-sitting Mothermayi Hanover was more than two lengths back in second, with Im Sooo Hot third.
(Meadows)