Canadian-owned Sandbetweenurtoes extended her winning streak to seven when she scored a gutsy victory in Saturday’s $208,846 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for sophomore filly pacers at The Meadows.
The event, known as the Romola Hanover, was contested over three divisions, with Beach Gal and Take That Hanover capturing the other splits.
Sandbetweenurtoes raced only once at two, finishing off the board. But she’s won all her starts this year and was hammered down to 2-5 Saturday. Nevertheless, she had to withstand a stiff first-over challenge from Cinamony to down her by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 on a track rated “good.” Allstar Rating was third.
Winning driver Brett Miller, who has been aboard for six of those seven victories, said he knew Sandbetweenurtoes, was special the first time he drove her in the slop at The Meadowlands.
“I got parked to the half that race, it was pouring down rain, and the fractions were wicked,” Miller said. “At the half, I said to myself, this filly will stop. And she won. Right there I thought, wow, she’s something else.
“She’s got guts. She gives 110 percent. Don’t get me wrong — she’s well bred and a good-sized filly, but she has no quit in her. She is just dead game. That’s what makes her special in my mind.”
Larry Remmen trains the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Als Girl, who soared over $200,000 in career earnings, for Bradley Grant of Milton, Ont.
Beach Gal moved first over from fourth and held off Also Encouraging to down her by a neck in 1:51.4 for David Miller, trainer Dave Menary and Ontario owners Kenneth Ewen, Hewvilla Farms, Denis Breton and Larry Menary. Early leader Marathon Day completed the ticket.
“She’s the type that can come first over,” David Miller said. “I’ve raced against her before, and I know she’s pretty gutsy. She’s raced on the lead and got beat. So I think she races better going after them.”
Take That Hanover fired out to the early lead for Dave Palone and wasn’t seriously threatened, scoring in 1:52.2. Southwind Silence was second, two lengths back, with Someislandsomwhere third. Chris Oakes conditions the daughter of Well Said-Transfer Hanover for J&T Silva Stables, Susan Oakes and Hauser Brothers Racing.
Also featured at The Meadows Saturday night were four $20,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for the sophomore filly pacers. All of them were staged later in the card, so all were raced over a “sloppy” surface — but the mud didn’t matter to newly installed Hall of Famer David Miller, who won two of the events among his five sulky victories on the card.
Oogle Google, winner of only one of her first 10 starts, has improved tremendously in recent starts for trainer Bruce Saunders, here collecting her fourth win in succession with a 1:53 score for Miller on the front end. The daughter of Real Desire was game in victory for the ownership combine of Robert Mondillo, Michael Robinson, Donald Robinson, and Steve Cheatham.
Eiffel Tower was a popular “hometown” and homebred winner in her cut, moving top the lead in front of the stands and going on to victory in 1:54. It was another visit to The Meadows’ Victory Lane for driver Miller, this time guiding the daughter of The Panderosa for trainer Dean Collins and breeder Glenda Collins; the latter co-owner with Janine Zito.
The Meadows’ – and North America’s – all-time leading driver Dave Palone put Lucys Pearl on the front at the quarter in her cut, and when she opened up a clear lead on the far turn, it looked like it might be easy for the daughter of Well Said. But first-over McVita Bella never said die, and Lucy’s Pearl was all-out to hold off her onrushing foe by the minimum margin in 1:53 for “The Trotting Guru,” Ron Gurfein, taking a rare excursion on the pacing side as trainer and co-owner with Elizabeth Novak.
The front end was also the route for success for the Western Terror filly Do Your Job, who did her job nicely to win in 1:54. Scott Zeron guided the filly, now six for 11 lifetime, for trainer Tom Fanning and owners David VanWert and the Fly By Night Stables.
(With files from The Meadows)