Two-year-old pacing colt Good Day Mate, a half-brother to millionaire Put On A Show and Showherthemoney, waited patiently behind the dueling leaders, then burst through the Lightning Lane to capture a Pennsylvania Sires Stake division in a stake-record 1:52.2 Saturday at The Meadows.
The $326,175 event for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers, known as the Albatross and featured as part of the powerful Adios elimination card, was conducted over five divisions, with Smokealittlesmoke, Dedis Dragon, Our Dragon King and Lex Vegas taking the other splits. Ron Pierce and trainer Sam DePinto teamed for two stake wins (Smokealittlesmoke, Our Dragon King) while Dave Palone also enjoyed a stake double (Good Day Mate, Lex Vegas).
As a pair of previously undefeated colts, Sir Richard Z Tam and Double The Dragon, locked horns in a stretch battle, Palone steered the unused Good Day Mate to the inside. When Double The Dragon broke stride, the race belonged to Good Day Mate, who finished two and a half lengths ahead of Sir Richard Z Tam. Jones Beach earned show at 70-1. The time erased the previous stake record of 1:52.3 established by Bunkmeister in 2008.
“I was behind the two I thought I had to follow, the two that looked the best on paper,” Palone said. “Normally, third isn’t where you want to be, but when I headed him into the Lightning Lane, he just exploded.”
Chris Oakes trains the son of Christian Cullen and Stienams Place for Good Day Mate Partnership. The win was Good Day Mate's first in three starts to follow up a pair of runner-up performances.
Smokealittlesmoke worked out a comfortable pocket trip and brushed in the stretch to score in 1:53.2. Early leader Sink The McBismark was third-placed-second while Wishful Desire was disqualified from second and placed third for a late break.
“He’s stepping up,” said DePinto of the son of Yankee Cruiser and Catherine Renee. “He’s getting a lot better, week in and week out. He gives you 100 per cent. He’s a tough little bugger. The more he’s racing, the more he’s trying. You saw him leave in :26 and change today, and he had pop at the end.”
Gallicchio Racing Stable, Shannon DePinto and Jill Cannella own Smokealittlesmoke, whom they acquired privately.
Also part of Saturday’s card were four divisions of a PA Stallion Series event for sophomore filly pacers. They acquitted themselves quite well — particularly Sangaal, who reached the lead with a quarter-pole move for Jim Morrill Jr. and went on to score in a stake-record 1:52.3. Sweetheart Dance was second by a neck, with I Am Passionate third. Chris Ryder trains the daughter of Real Desire and Burning Point for Kenneth Solomon.
The other $20,000 splits went to: All Star Player and Mike Wilder for trainer L. David Emanuel II and owner Dean Casaday; Magic Starlight and Eric Neal for trainer Randy Neal and owner Neal Racing Stable; and Love You Bye with Palone for trainer Tom Shay and owner Howard Taylor.
(The Meadows)