Trotting freshmen took centre stage Friday, July 24 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows with the Ed Ryan Arden Downs Stakes for fillies and the Robert J. Key Arden Downs Stakes for colts and geldings.
The first of two $28,169 Arden Downs divisions saw The Captains Wife and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. cruise to a wire-to-wire, five-length victory. The daughter of Captain Corey-Broadway Socks posted fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:28.1 before closing in :29.2 to stop the timer in 1:57.3. Aldiva Hanover rallied late to finish second for driver Justin Walters with Western Twister (Brian Zendt) in for third.
The Captains Wife is trained by Vernon Beachy for owners 51 Group LLC and Ryan Smith, both of Ohio.
The second Ed Ryan division proved to be the fastest and established a new stakes record. Heaven Knows and Brian Zendt sprinted to a :28 opening quarter before Dave Palone moved Miss Eliza from the pocket to the lead. The daughter of Captain Corey-Miss Wilia reached the half in :57.1, cruised through a :29 third quarter, and finished with a :28.2 final panel to stop the clock in a stakes-record 1:54.3. Shes A Home Run, with Emanuel Miller, finished one length back in second, followed by Heaven Knows.
Trained by Norm Parker, Miss Eliza was purchased by brothers Bart and Todd Brice of Indiana, Pa. for $69,444 at last fall's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Both divisions of the Robert J. Key Arden Downs Stakes came down to the final strides. In the opening division, Crimson Crown and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. held off Bigmanballin and Wilbur Yoder in 1:57. Moving from third to the lead at the quarter, Crimson Crown dictated the pace before Bigmanballin ranged up alongside but could get no closer. The pair battled through the stretch, with Crimson Crown's :29.3 final quarter proving to be the difference to give Wrenn his fifth winner on the card. Bigmanballin was three parts of a length back in second, just ahead of Swinging Gimp (James Dennis).
The son of Muscle Hill-Gracelyn Hanover is trained by Matthew Burkholder for Dark Horse Farm LLC of Ohio. The win was the first lifetime victory for the former $91,549 Harrisburg yearling purchase.
Norm Parker completed a training double by capturing the fastest Robert J. Key division with Red Andray. Driver Mike Wilder sent the colt to the front from post seven and never looked back, holding off a late challenge from Hades Hanover and Brady Brown by a head to win in 1:56. Keystone Augusta (Zendt) completed the top three.
The son of Captain Corey-Mezcal Morning was a $118,056 purchase at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for owners Bart and Todd Brice and Andray Farms of Pennsylvania.
(With files from MSOA)