Army Hanover marched to the lead with a quarter-pole move en route to victory in the fastest division of a $140,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stakes Tuesday, August 18 at the Meadows.
The event for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings was contested over seven divisions, with Sectionline Blast, DVC Givemeattitude, Tom Paine, Earlymorninarrival, Time To Rocknroll and Native Justice capturing the other splits. Dave Palone enjoyed a driving triple (Army Hanover, Sectionline Blast, Tom Paine) in the stakes event.
Army Hanover looked sharp in his two previous starts, both overnight events, so Palone didn’t hesitate to send the son of Dragon Again—Armbro Bewitched after the early lead.
“I thought he was the best,” Palone said. “He was real sharp in his maiden win, and I couldn’t trust the horse on the lead to get me were I had to be. He won pretty easily — little bit of a steering issue, though. He has pedigree enough to go on.”
Army Hanover scored his initial stakes victory in 1:54.4, one and a half lengths better than the hard-used Lucky Lucky Leo. Bonners Creek finished third. Kevin McDermott trains Army Hanover for Richard DiMazza.
The diminutive Sectionline Blast recorded his first stakes victory with a similar journey — a quarter-pole move to the lead. The Blissfull Hall—Armbro Alto homebred, who has been in the money four of his five lifetime outings, downed Yaoza by two lengths in 1:55, with Headbutt Harley third.
“It’s unbelievable how he’s come around for all the bigger he is,” said Mike Conklin, who trains Sectionline Blast for Harold Lee Bauder and Harold L. Bauder. “But he’s a game little racehorse, and I‘m happy with him. We thought we’d have a better shot with him now than we would later taking on bigger horses. We’ll quit with him early to give him a chance to grow.”
Owner/driver David Brickell and trainer Sue Brickell have given DVC Givemeattitude a sizable workload — 10 previous starts in fair and Stallion Series stakes. The Arturo—Cajun Attitude gelding has responded well to his schedule, as he won for the eighth time, at 28-1, in 1:55.4. Lap Hanover was three quarters of a length back in second, with Panskrit third.
DVC Givemeattitude was acquired at auction for what Sue Brickell described as “not much.”
“He has a great attitude.” Sue Brickell said. “He’s an easy horse to deal with. He gives you everything he has. You have to try them out and see how good they are, and this Stallion Series is great for people like us with small stables.”
His fine performance won’t earn the youngster a day off, as he’s in to go Wednesday at the Dayton (Pennsylvania) Fair.
“This was just to get him tight for Dayton,” joked David Brickell, a mainstay on the Pennsylvania fairs circuit who captured the first Meadows stakes victory of his career.
Palone finished with four winners on the 15-race card while Dan Charlino scored a natural hat trick — three consecutive wins.
(The Meadows)