Five divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes two-year-old trotting fillies were featured in their second preliminary round Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with all five cuts producing new lifetime marks, and the division pitting three of the first round winners providing the fastest victory, a 1:54.4 by Thats All Moni.
The victorious daughter of Cantab Hall had to grind uncovered against favoured Fine Tuned Lady, but she came her last quarter in :27.4 to overhaul the chalk, who had made the lead in front of the stands, by a neck on the money. Yannick Gingras again successfully teamed with Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter to keep Thats All Moni undefeated after a pair of starts for the ownership of Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld.
The other repeat winner was also a daughter of Cantab Hall, Dangle Then Deke, who swung three-wide headstretch under the guidance of Tim Tetrick and stormed her own last split in :28.1 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Voxy, who rallied from the pocket. The 6-5 favourite kept her record unblemished after three starts for trainer Dirk Simpson and owner James Bafia.
Sire Explosive Matter also had two progeny among the quintet of Pocono feature winners Tuesday. The first was Chezatter, who was a pocket rocket with a :56.2 last half in her to get a neck up on pacesetting Sienna Hanover in 1:55.2. David Miller handled the winner for trainer Trond Smedshammer and the Purple Haze Stable LLC.
Also an Explosive Matter-sired winner was Yooper, who went her second half in :57 while uncovered to stop the clock in 1:56. She was 1-1/2 lengths ahead on the horse on her back the last half, Donato Fashion. Matt Kakaley got the driving call from trainer Dean Eckley for owner/breeder Clifford Grundy.
The only other favourite besides Dangle To Deke to win in the event (though Yooper’s $8.20 was the biggest price of the bunch) was the horse to follow Dangle To Deke into the winner’s circle, the Muscle Massive filly Treviso, who was parked past the quarter for command, then put in a :28.2 last quarter to win in 1:56.3, extended to win by a nose over the game first-over Princess Aurora. Treviso is trained and driven by Charlie Norris for owners Carrie Norris and Klis Brothers Stable.
Driver Anthony Napolitano, sidelined through injury since a May 31 far turn racing mishap at The Downs, is back and ready for sulky duty, scheduled to drive in qualifiers here tomorrow (Wednesday) and during the next purse card here, scheduled for Saturday. Anthony was second in the Pocono dash-winning derby behind his brother George at the time of the accident, and he was also doing well in expanding his regular sulky sitting to The Meadowlands and Yonkers.
(PHHA/Pocono)