Dobre Povedane became a three-time Pennsylvania Stallion Series winner during the fourth and final preliminary round for three-year-old pacing fillies Friday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, while Mezzanine Hanover, who had been unbeaten in her three series starts to date, had to settle for third in the other division to the $355,000 yearling Bodacious.
Dobre Povedane, Slovak for "well said" (no points for guessing her sire), was a pocket rocket for driver Victor Kirby, covering the mile in 1:52.4 for trainer John Butenschoen and owners David and John Prushnok of Andray Farm, who were co-breeders with William Gregg. With three wins and a second in the four-leg Stallion prelims, Dobre Povedane will be the highest point-earner as she prepares for the $40,000 divisional Championship at Harrah's Philadelphia on September 7.
Bodacious is a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and Silky, dam of $750,000+ winner Malicious and also Beach Body, who finished second in the 2013 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Pace weeks before that year's Harrisburg sale. Unraced at two, the filly has now won two straight and here lowered her mark to 1:51.1, quarter-moving to victory for driver Simon Allard, trainer Steve Elliott, and the partnership of Conrad Zurich (who co-owns Beach Body) and Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises LLC. Mezzazine Fashion rallied second-over to just miss in a photo for second behind Apricot Sour.
Unfortunately, the victory in her initial Stallion Series foray earns Bodacious only 35 points, and eight fillies have amassed 50 points or more (points based on finish assigned 35-25-15-10-8-5-4-2-1) to guarantee themselves spots in the Championship (Bodacious can still be entered and draw in if she ranks among the top eight declared). The PA Harness Racing Commission is the official point-keeper of these races, but an unofficial calculation after the races produced these eight as having earned spots: Dobre Povedane (135 points), Mezzanine Fashion (120), Apricot Sour (93), Angel Plus (86), Repeat Please (60), Lean On Yourself (58), Somewhere Fameous (55), and Eloquently Stated (50).
In a $24,000 overnight feature for older pacing mares, Radar Contact made every pole a winning one for driver Tom Jackson, scurrying home in :54.3 - :27.1 to complete a 1:50.2 package. The daughter of Dontgetinmyway, trained by Noel Daley for owners Charles Stillings and Dean Ehrgott, has now been first or second in 17 of 23 seasonal starts, and has a highlight of defeating the evergreen Anndrovette in the Betsy Ross Pace at Philly in May.
Tomorrow night, the three-year-old pacing fillies in the Sire Stakes will race in two divisions for their last chance to earn enough points to make their $350,000 Championship (or perhaps $60,000 Consolation), to be raced at Pocono on September 5.
(PHHA / Pocono)