Seeking Nirvana, who had lost her previous two career outings by a combined 18-1/4 lengths, grew up quick Wednesday at The Meadows when she went first over to score in a $120,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake for freshman filly pacers.
The event was contested over six divisions, with Apricot Sour, Filly Buster, Showtime Terror, Hashtag Quick and Hillarys Style also taking $20,000 splits. Aaron Merriman fashioned a stake triple (Apricot Sour, Showtime Terror, Hashtag Quick) among his four wins on the 16-race card.
Seeking Nirvana last raced against some of Pennsylvania’s best in a PA Sires Stake and she seemed to relish the change in company. She moved from third for Mike Wilder and scored in 1:54.4, one and three-quarter lengths better than Half Past Seven, with Hot Chica Boomba third.
“She didn’t get the easiest trip in the world, but she did the work great,” Wilder said. “When I called on her and asked her for pace, she dug in very nicely for a green filly. When I pulled the plugs at the top of the lane, she paced away. I couldn’t have asked her to do it better.”
Andrew McCarthy trains the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Endless Delight for Patricia Stable and Barbara Matthews.
Filly Buster grabbed her second straight in the stallion series and remained undefeated with a front-end victory in 1:55.2 for Eric Ledford, trainer Ross Croghan and owners Let It Ride Stables, RBH Ventures and Howard Taylor. The pocket-sitting Angel Plus was second, half a length back, while Angel Or Terror earned show.
“She’s a beautifully bred filly,” Croghan said of the daughter of Well Said and Loyal Opposition, the 2005 Breeders Crown winner for pacing mares. “I don’t think she’s as good as her mom, but she’s decent. She has some conformation flaws, but she’s been perfectly sound so far — hasn’t missed a beat. We’ll leave her in the stallion series; it’s getting more competitive with each round. I don’t think she’ll go undefeated this year, but she’ll have a little fun.”
After launching her career by breaking stride in a stallion series split, Apricot Sour looked quite professional Wednesday, making a power move to the front past the quarter and downing Dobre Povedane by a length in 1:55.3. Safe From Terror completed the ticket.
“We know she’s fast enough, but she’s very green,” said Anna Lorentzon, assistant to winning trainer Anette Lorentzon. “We don’t know why she broke last week. She put in some bad steps, but we don’t know why. She’ll be in the next stallion series stake.”
Ted Gewertz owns and co-bred the daughter of Well Said and Artcotic, a Breeders Crown winner at three.
Live racing at The Meadows resumes Friday when the program features the Sand Tart, a $227,160 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for two-year-old filly pacers. First post is 6:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)