Devilish Emerald was positively angelic in her career debut, moving crisply to the front and holding on late in the fastest division of Friday’s $284,932 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for two-year-old trotting fillies at The Meadows
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The event, known as the Meadow Gladys, was contested over six divisions, with Norma Jean Hall, Tango Dancer, Celebrity Katie, Pacific Splash and Alzata Hanover — all first-time starters — taking the other splits. Brett Miller (Celebrity Katie, Alzata Hanover) and Dave Palone (Devilish Emerald, Tango Dancer) each fashioned a stake double.
The card also featured nine divisions of a $180,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake for freshman colt and gelding pacers, meaning that 108 youngsters competed for $464,932 in total purses.
Devilish Emerald was exceptional in her two qualifiers, winning both while getting every call. She fulfilled that promise in the Meadow Gladys, scoring by a neck in 1:58.2. Caitrin Hall was second, with Hall N Flori third.
“I thought she could trot, but I didn’t expect her to go 1:58 and a piece her first start,” said Bill Zendt, who trains the homebred daughter of Broadway Hall-Devilish Hanover for Shanamphilaniklou. “She’s a little warm, so she has to behave herself. The big thing is keeping her settled. If you can do that, she’ll trot like a son-of-a-gun.”
Norma Jean Hall had only one qualifier to prep for the stake, but trainer Dan Walski considered her ready for prime time.
“I liked her breeding and her conformation,” Walski said of the $10,000 yearling acquisition. “In her qualifier, she acted like an aged horse, so I didn’t think she needed any more qualifiers. She’s done everything we’ve asked her to do. She’ll stay pretty much in sires stakes."
The daughter of Tom Ridge-Nicegirlsdont moved first over for Brian Zendt and scored in 1:59.3, 4-3/4 lengths better than Summer Music. Jogging Home earned show money. WWW Ventures owns Norma Jean Hall.
Palone didn’t necessarily want the lead with Tango Dancer, but when no one else came hard from the gate, the daughter of Broadway Hall-Giant Step found herself on point. She prevailed effortlessly in 1:59.2, half a length better than Broadway Starlet, with Lyrical Lady third.
“I wanted to float out of there, find a spot and race her conservatively,” Palone said. “With babies, you want to win, but you don’t want to give them a bad experience. She was comfortable all the way and finished well within herself.”
Jim Campbell trains Tango Dancer for Fashion Farms.
Move It Forward Wins Career Debut In PA Stallion Series
Move It Forward did just that in Friday’s $180,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake at The Meadows, moving forward to the lead past the quarter and rolling on to score in 1:55 — fastest of nine divisions — in his career debut.
Also taking $20,000 splits in the event for freshman colt and gelding pacers were Stress Test, Yes We Can, Roethblissberger, Coraggio Hanover, Jokester Hanover, Bells Panacea, Rattler Quick and Jackson Killean. Jason Bartlett and trainer George Teague, Jr. teamed for a stake three-bagger (Stress Test, Yes We Can, Jokester Hanover) while Tye Loy enjoyed a stake training triple (Move It Forward, Bells Panacea, Jackson Killean).
Move It Forward was largely overlooked as a yearling, but Loy was happy to sign his ticket for $7,000 and keep the gelded son of I Am A Fool-Sweets N Treats for his own account.
“He has a good pedigree, and he’s a good-looking horse,” Loy said. “We recently found a couple things that might have been bugging him — a knee and the angle of his shoeing — and worked on them. But he has wicked speed.”
On Friday, Tony Hall made the decisive move to the front with Move It Forward, who went on to defeat 4-5 favorite Kingofthehighlands by a length. Serpenteen finished third.
Stress Test was neither stressed nor tested in his split, as he took the early lead and scored a convincing victory at first asking in 1:55.3. Dont Tell Mom was 1-1/2 lengths back in second, while Keystone Royce earned show dough.
“I actually wanted to follow another horse,” Bartlett said, “but he dragged me out of there. He paced home in 28 flat, which is real good for his first lifetime start. I thought he finished up real well.”
Ted Gewertz, Pitt Bull Stable, Class Personified Stable and Teague own Stress Test, a son of Ponder-Pacific Fling.
Coraggio Hanover was right where Brett Miller didn’t want him, first over in his first career outing for trainer Ray Schnittker and owner Steven Arnold.
“Ray told me to give him a trip,” Miller said, “but I landed in a bad spot. I didn’t want to be first over, but he felt good, and I wanted to give him a shot. He was a little green in the last turn; it looked like he was waiting on horses. But he finished strong.”
It may not have been the dream trip, but the gelded son of Dragon Again-Carmelita Hanover overcame the obstacles with talent, winning in 1:57. Fast Heat was second, 1-1/4 lengths in arrears, while Music Man Mindale finished third.
(The Meadows)