Heavy favourites took it on the chin in their respective second-round preliminary divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Wednesday afternoon (July 21) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
First to fall was Global Pandemic, who had won the Arthur Tompkins Memorial and a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest before finishing second to early divisional leader Keg Stand in a 1:55.1 division of the first Sires leg. The 1-5 favourite moved to the lead after a :28.4 quarter and set middle fractions of :58.1 and 1:27, but the Explosive Matter-Blintz gelding Kosher Mahoney, who lurked in the pocket, had the most in the stretch, surging clear by 1-3/4 lengths while lowering his mark to 1:56.1. Tim Tetrick drove the 4-1 second choice to victory for trainer Symon Spicer and owner Eli Beiler.
Early division Keg Stand then met his comeuppance in the second split at the hooves of the Bar Hopping-Barbara Brooks colt S I P, who came within a fifth of a second of the Philly divisional track record with a 1:55.1 win. Keg Stand was 2-5 vs. S I P’s 2-1, though both had won a first-round Sire Stakes leg. But, as Keg Stand went for the lead past a :28.3 quarter, front-stepping S I P pushed the chalk before releasing him before a :57 half and followed him closely to the 1:25.3 three-quarters.
As soon as S I P and Yannick Gingras found stretch room between horses, it was apparent the favourite was beaten, and S I P went on to a three-quarter-length victory over Double Deceiver, with Keg Stand fading to fifth and last — though beaten only 2-1/4 lengths. S I P thus became the only double Sire Stakes winner in the group to date, doing so for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables and Brixton Medical Inc.
Hall of Fame driver David Miller recorded a double in Stallion Series action, piloting Khal Drogo (1:57) and Oh Boy (1:59) to victory in their respective divisions. Patrick Hanover (1:57, Andy Miller) took the remaining split.
Racing at Harrah's Philadelphia resumes on Thursday (July 22) at 12:25 p.m. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)