All three winners of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs went faster than the existing track record for three-year-old trotting fillies, with Holier Than Thou matching a world record in her division win as a 27-1 longshot.
There were three divisions of the sire stakes held at Pocono for the sophomore distaff trotters with purses ranging from $99,503 to $99,907.
Maven (Glidemaster-M Stewart), who was fresh off a win in the Reynolds at The Meadowlands and was made the 1-9 favourite, started the record-breaking off with a seven and a quarter length win in her division with Yannick Gingras in the bike. Uncommon Night was second, while Cant Have My Moni was further back in third. Trained by Jonas Czernyson and owned by W. J. Donovan, Maven now has 11 wins in 17 lifetime starts. The winning time of 1:53.2 broke the Pocono mark for her age group of 1:53.4, which was set in August of 2010 by Christiana Hanover and matched a month later by Pictures Of Millie.
Superstar Hanover (Cantab Hall-Star Hanover), trained and driven by Jimmy Takter, atoned for a loss at 1-9 two starts ago at Pocono by winning the second sire stakes division in 1:53.3. The filly, owned by Christina Takter, Louie Camara, and John Fielding, held off fast closing Real Babe in second and Oasis Dream in third.
In the final sire stakes split, Holier Than Thou (Cantab Hall-Sunday Yankee), again featuring the connections of Gingras, Czernyson, and Donovan, rallied from way back for a two and three-quarter length win in 1:53.1, resetting the track mark and matching the world record on a five-eighths oval for three-year-old trotting fillies held by Hiddden Viggorish. Holier Than Thou, a 27-1 longshot, more than doubled her lifetime earnings with the big purse. Favourite Valdonna finished second while Arent I Hanover grabbed the show.
(Pocono Downs)