The flavour of the day on Saturday, July 5 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows was two-year-old pacing fillies, and there was plenty to offer. Three $61,920 Pennsylavnia Sire Stakes divisions, named the Sand Tart, were contested along with four $27,027 Stallion Series divisions on the 13-race card.
“Today Loua Dipa was an unopened present that you think you know what it is but you need to open it to make sure,” said owner Mark Weaver said following the Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper filly's 1:52.4 effort in her PaSS division. Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. patiently worked Loua Dipa to the lead through a quiet :57.1 opening half. From there the pair would roll on to a 1-1/2 victory over pocket-sitter Big Weekend (Matt Kakaley) with Yama Gonna Win (Scott Zeron) next best.
Bred and owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi, the youngster has drawn comparisons to her older accomplished sister Looksgoodinloulou. “Training down and in the qualifiers, we thought and hoped she had this in her but you’re never sure. We are thrilled with her performance today,” a smiling Weaver concluded.
“Oh, she floats over the ground,” is how driver Tyler Buter described Imagine Heaven (pictured above) following her 1:51.1 win in the Sand Tart, with the mile time matching the national season's record for rookie fillies on a three-turn oval. “The connections told me early they believed she was very talented and I’m thankful they were right.”
Unhurried off the gate, Buter briefly tucked fourth before moving to the lead. “That middle half she was in neutral, top of the stretch I asked and she took off,” Buter explained. The filly by Papi Rob Hanover - OK Heavenly is trained by Hunter Oakes for owners Flying A Racing Stable, Lucky Strike and Charles Oakes.
Bahama Momma and driver Scott Zeron left alertly from post four to grab the lead in her PaSS division. However, by the half the Tall Dark Stranger - Idyllic Beach filly and Zeron found themselves shuffled to third. Sitting third behind the two favourites — Spoon Fed (Dave Palone) and Im A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) — through three quarters in 1:24.4, Zeron edged the Joe Bongiorno trainee to the outside and she uncorked a :26.2 last quarter to wear down Spoon Fed by a half-length, for a maiden-breaking 1:51.4 score on debut.
”The trip worked out really well, and she was game all the way through the stretch,” said Zeron. Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing own the filly which Zeron added, “was highly thought of training down.”
The four Stallion Series splits went to Sweet Lake (1:56, driver Anthony MacDonald, trainer Tim Twaddle), Bling Hanover (1:54.4, driver Jeremy Indof, trainer Mitch York), Joyful Hanover (1:55.1, driver Joyful Hanover, trainer Ron Burke as part of a three-win day) and Lyons Hooked Up (1:54.3, driver Dave Palone, trainer Erv Miller).
Live harness racing resumes on Wednesday, July 9, with a first post time of 12:45 p.m.
(with files from MSOA)