Trainer Jim Campbell showed he has two honed Hambletonian-caliber horses for new Hall of Famer Jules Siegel and his Fashion Farms LLC in Patent Leather and Crystal Fashion, as they posted identical 1:53.3 clockings in winning divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes third preliminary for three-year-old colt trotters Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia. And the Campbell duo defied a trend that manifested itself: Patent Leather was the second choice in his race and Crystal Fashion the favourite in his, and they were the only two of the six 1-2 choices in the three divisions who did not make a break.
Crystal Fashion, winning the 2018 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial
Crystal Fashion, unraced since winning the Beal Championship on June 30 and starting from the outside post seven, was away quickly, but backed off to a tuck fourth as Hill Street set the early pace of :28.2 and :57.4, with second choice Lindys Big Bang in the pocket. Tim Tetrick, continuing in outstanding driving form, had his Cantab Hall gelding on the move past the half, and he had reached Hill Street before the 1:25.2 three-quarter pole. It was just past that point that Lindys Big Bang ran in the pocket, and Crystal Fashion had it fairly easy from there, going past the pacesetter at headstretch and winning by 3/4 of a length over Mississippi Storm, who closed well but wasn’t a serious threat nearing the wire. Crystal Fashion certainly could be a threat in that big race in Jersey in 15 days time
Campbell had a good idea that Tetrick would likely stick with Crystal Fashion in future outings, so he engaged Andrew McCarthy to drive Patent Leather in his division, and the two teamed like old friends. Favoured Hat Trick Habit yielded to Gemologist before the :26.4 quarter, then broke soon off the first turn to take himself out of contention. McCarthy waited in fourth with his Broadway Hall colt as Gemologist got a breather to the half in :57.1, then took up chase at the five-eighths, reaching the leader by the 1:25.1 third station and then drawing off at will, ahead of second-place Exarch by 3-1/2 lengths on the money.
The other division proved to be the fastest. The 1-2 choices, Lawmaker and Whats The Word, were both offstride before the 5/16 mark, leaving the path clear for pacesetting Scirocco Rob to post a 1:53.1 victory. Make It A Double inherited the pocket, drafted behind the leader, and made a good race of it in the stretch, but the victorious altered son of Explosive Matter, stakes-placed in several recent races, had enough to hold on by a neck for driver Corey Callahan, trainer John Butenschoen, and owners Kathleen and Lewis Whitaker Jr.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)