Great Waters cruised on the front end to notch his first career stakes victory in a division of Friday’s $120,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event at The Meadows
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The stake for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers was conducted over six divisions, with KF Shark, Mc Attaboy, Fly Away, Blueridge Dancer and Winbak Jake taking the other $20,000 splits. Greg Grismore and trainer Sam Beegle enjoyed stake doubles with Mc Attaboy and Fly Away.
Trainer Bob McIntosh prepped Great Waters for his stakes debut with an overnight race at Flamboro Downs, where he finished a distant seventh.
“Bob told me not to worry about that line, that he was happy with the horse,” said winning driver Dave Palone. “He’s usually low key about his horses, so that was good enough for me. I would have been content to let someone go and follow him. On the front, I kind of talked him through it. When I hit the gas on the last turn, he was gone.”
The son of The Panderosa-In Trepid Water triumphed in a stakes-fastest 1:55.1. Carols Comet was 3-3/4 lengths back in second while Lights Out Hanover completed the ticket. Robert McIntosh Stables and CSX Stables bred and own Great Waters.
With only two qualifiers for experience, Winbak Jake rushed to the lead from post six and was unchallenged thereafter, prevailing by a comfortable 1-3/4 lengths over KBs Bad Boy. Top Of The Mark finished third.
“I knew from training him down he loves to be on the lead,” said Randy Bendis, who conditions the son of Quik Pulse Mindale-Joy Luck Hall and owns with John Campbell, Mike Novosel, Jr. and Reed Broadway. “He’s a cocky little guy with a lot of fight in him. I told Mike that if he found his way to the lead, they’d be hard pressed to get by him.”
He said Winbak Jake, a $16,000 yearling acquisition, may be pointed to next week’s Reynolds.
KF Shark got away last in his seven-horse field and was pushed extremely wide in the stretch. But he plucked off the tiring leaders for Aaron Merriman to score in 1:56.3, 2-1/2 lengths better than Take It Back Terry, with early leader Allstar Blues third.
“I didn’t plan to be last, but he’s still shy about a couple things and a little tentative about the gate,” Merriman said. “But that’s not uncommon in a green horse. He has a lot of ‘try’ to him, and he just kept digging.”
Mike Medors trains KF Shark, a son of Four Starzzz Shark-KF Pros Baby, and owns with Henry Kauffman.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, B Vs Sister worked out a pocket trip and brushed through the Lightning Lane late to pull off a 48-1 shocker for Grismore, trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. and owner Ken Sommer. Im Justa Lady found late racing room but fell a head short, with Hawaiianphotograph a rallying third.
A seven-year-old daughter of Big Victory-First Breath, B Vs Sister extended her career bankroll to $520,146.
Saturday’s card at The Meadows features four divisions of the Albatross, a $245,336 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for freshman colt and gelding pacers. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)