Three of the four favourites in the $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars series for three-year-old trotting fillies were victorious Saturday afternoon (July 25) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. However, the non-chalk scored in the fastest time.
Among the sophomores, Muscle Massive filly Miss McKee proved speediest with a lifetime-best mile of 1:53 in her division. Driver George Napolitano Jr. kept her on her toes to let no challenger by early, in the middle or late in the race. The sophomore is now four-for-five since trainer Jack Baggitt Jr. reintroduced her to trotting hopples, and the equipment switch looks to have worked wonders to the pleasure of owner J L Sadowsky LLC.
Two of the three favoured winners in the trotting stakes are trained by Ron Burke, and both are daughters of Muscle Hill. They are Sans Defaut (translating to “flawless” in French) living up to her moniker while posting a 1:54.1 time for driver Joe Bongiorno and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Crawford Farms Racing, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby; and Dune Hill, who snapped home in :28 to complete a 1:55 mile for driver George Brennan and owner Joseph Di Scala Jr.
The other All-Stars trotting winner was the Explosive Matter miss Queen Of The Hill, who made an early move to the lead and went on to lower her mark to 1:54.4 while raising her earnings over $200,000 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Per Engblom and owner Al Libfeld.
Among the baby pacing misses, the Captaintreacherous–Marinade Hanover distaff Marsala Hanover lived up to her backing, winning in 1:52.1 as one of three maiden winners. Jason Bartlett set sail with the Linda Toscano trainee, stepping home in :27 for the Enviro Stables LTD, South Mountain Stables, Little E LLC, and Westminster Road LLC.
The A Rocknroll Dance–Mikayla Rose filly Dancethenightaway insisted on the early lead in her division for driver Jim Morrill Jr. and then maintained her advantage to the wire, coming home in :55.2 to complete a 1:52.2 mile. Trainer Andrew Stafford is also a co-owner of the promising miss with Bonnie Benson, John Johannsen, and Holly Case.
Driver Victor Kirby had bad racing luck behind Lyons Softassilk in their event, but the Somebeachsomewhere–Bettor Than Silk filly showed her mettle in posting a 1:53.3 victory. Forced to tuck in early, Kirby was able to get back outside as the outer tier was the lively one on the turn, then swung wide and coaxed a solid rally from Lyons Softassilk, whose connections, trainer Jim King Jr. and owner Threelyonsracing, also are the force behind last year’s two-year-old champion Lyon’s Sentinel (who won at The Meadows later in the afternoon).
The only previous winning freshman to win before this event was the Sweet Lou–Continual Velocity filly Continualou, who followed a Sire Stakes victory in her last start with a win here in 1:53, the best of her young career. Joe Bongiorno and Ron Burke again teamed up for a stakes victory with Continualou for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Bongiorno and Burke had three overall winners on the card, as did perennial local driving leader George Napolitano Jr., who ends this report as the driver of Another Daily Copy, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding who streaked a mile in 1:48.4, the fastest time of the local season. The veteran now has won $583,658 for trainer Richard Johnson and the ownership of D’Elegance Stable IX, Carmen Iannacone, T L P Stable, and The Gandolfo Stables.
(PHHA/Pocono)