The Papi Rob Hanover-Betterthangraduate two-year-old pacing filly Papi Grad has now opened her purse career with three consecutive 1:51.1 wins after winning one of three $83,025 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes second round prelims on Sunday evening, July 21 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Brett Miller moved the undefeated freshman after the :28.2 first quarter and was briefly three-wide en route to the lead by the :56.2 half. The three-quarters came and went in 1:23.3, at which point Papi Grad had the complete command she would maintain to the wire, although her win margin this week was “only” 6-1/2 lengths over the 107-1 Dexter Dunn-driven longshot Treacheryinthedark. Trained by Steve Carter for Brent Hopper, Jay Mossbarger, TKO Racing Stable LLC and SCPStable&FriedlandRacing, Papi Grad is the only double Sire Stakes winner in the division thus far.
The other two Sire Stakes divisions were won by daughters of Captaintreacherous who are both undefeated and who took new marks. Lily White Hanover (dam Lillian Hanover) rolled right by in the stretch while coming her own last quarter in :27.3 in a 1:51.3 victory for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
Westwinds (dam Muskoka Hanover) blitzed home in :26.2 to complete a 1:52.2 tally and add a Sire Stakes to her Stallion Series and All-Stars wins earlier. Tim Tetrick drove for trainer Brian Brown and the partnership of Milton Leeman, Stambaugh Keith Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
Papi Rob Hanover also had a double within the seven $27,397 Stallion Series races, and like in the Sire Stakess, he fathered the fastest winner in Gigglingonthebeach (dam Always Giggling). The George Napolitano Jr.-driven miss broke her maiden in 1:51.4 for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm.
Papi Rob Hanover combined with the broodmare Paulas Best to produce the only double Stallion Series winner, Pilar Hanover, who recorded the second-fastest Stallion Series mile, 1:52.4, to lower her mark for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., and owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc.
Captaintreacherous picked up a double credit with two victories in both series of races. Simply Perfect (dam Stacia Hanover) took a mark of 1:54.4 for driver Andrew McCarthy (who had four wins in total on the night), trainer Tony Alagna, and owners Pryde Stables Inc., Steven and Michelle Head and Caviart Farms.
Simply Perfect was one of seven favourites to win in stakes on the card. Among the 10 stakes races, nine winners combined for an aggregate win payoff of $35.10. The outlier was Oh Ophelia (dam Hey Lolly La), who made her debut a successful one in 1:55.2 for trainer Nifty Norman, owners Kovach Stables LLC and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. – and driver Dexter Dunn, with the longshot daughter of Captaintreacherous paying $123.60 for a $2 win ticket.
Also doubling up in the Stallion Series was sire Bettors Wish, with Wise Professor (dam Teachers Vet), undefeated in two starts after winning here in 1:54 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Nifty Norman, and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing, and with Bet On Station (dam Canard Hanover), who took a maiden mark of 1:53.2 for driver Brett Miller, trainer Jamie Sullivan, and owner Frank Chick.
Rounding out the double-digit divisions of freshman fillies was JK Fancy Nancy, a daughter of Captain Crunch out of 2014 Canada and U.S. Horse of the Year JK Shesalady, whose first purse start was successful in 1:54.3. Dexter Dunn drove the Nancy Takter trainee for 3 Brothers Stables.
Racing continues at Pocono on Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23 at 1 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono Downs)