The two-year-old portion of Pennsylvania All-Stars action for 2017 ended Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono with five $30,000 divisions of the event for two-year-old trotting fillies, and while this sport’s participants often can’t agree on very much, there would likely be general agreement on who made the biggest impression.
The most impressive winner in the quintet of races was the Explosive Matter – Phaeton miss Phaetosive, and not just because her time of 1:56, last quarter :28, was the fastest of all; the manner in which she won was just as impressive. Phaetosive had to go three-wide around an early breaker, continued outside and onward with cover to the first 3/8s, then brushed to the top before the :58.1 half. Despite that arduous overland journey, Phaetosive had enough late to rush home in :28, drawing clear by almost three lengths.
Trond Smedshammer trains and drove the powerful miss, who certainly has the pedigree for this kind of mile -- her third dam is the dam of undefeated world champion Broadway Hall, who was the sire of the virtual definition of two-year-old trotting filly speed, at least on a 5/8s, Cooner Schooner, still the world record holder at 1:51.3. The promising Phaetosive is owned by the Purple Haze Stables LLC.
Muscle Hill enjoyed a siring double, and the team of driver Matt Kakaley and Ron Burke accounted for two winners as well. The faster of the Kakaley/Burke duo was Front Circle, out of the mare Sheena Hall, who didn’t let a 23-day gap between her two prep races and this start, or a mid turn breaker, bother her – she just went three-wide, stayed on her game, and won a three-way picture over One Fine Lady and Follow Streak (second and third respectively) in 1:58.2. Kakaley was cool in the sulky despite the close finish and the fact that his filly was held at 14-1 as they won for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Silva Pumel & Libby, Michelle Yanek and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
The other Kakaley/Burke winner, Mother May I, sat in the pocket behind a pedestrian pace, then rallied to post a half-length decision in 2:00.2. The daughter of Cantab Hall – Southwind Maywood won for three-quarters of a length of the ownership of her stablemate Front Circle – Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and Silva / Pumel / Libby.
Going back to the Muscle Hill double, his other winner was Lily Stride, a daughter of Sterling Volo, who showed gameness on the lead by fighting off pocket puller Air Quote Hanover, who got to even terms or better on the far turn, winning in 1:57.1 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Mark Harder, and Down Under owners across the Tasman from Harder’s native New Zealand, Emilio and Maria Rosati of Australia.
Team Orange Crush, trainer Julie Miller and driver/husband Andy, finished out a big extended weekend at Pocono by taking the other division with the Yankee Glide - Wind Stroll filly Sound Check in 1:58.2. The winner covered a lot of ground to get to the lead just past the 5/16, but she was in tune and in control from there for owners/breeders Tony Holmes and Walter Zent.
(PHHA/Pocono)