Hall of Fame driver David Miller won five of the six divisions of the fourth and final preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for two-year-old trotting colts Monday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Miller was victorious in the first five Stallion Series contests, opening the stakes competition with the Muscle Hill–Brooklyn colt Kings County, who stepped his last half in a very impressive :56.2 to take a race mark of 1:56.4 by 11-1/4 lengths. A winner in his only other Stallion Series start, Kings County is trained by Domenico Cecere for Lindy Farms Of Connecticut.
Next up was the Cantab Hall–Defiant Donato colt Cantab Fashion, who went his last half in :57.3 to take a maiden mark of 1:57 while 10-1/4 lengths of his field for trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC. Cantab Fashion had made a break in his only other purse start, also in the Stallion Series.
Miller, Cecere, and Lindy Farms united again in the winner’s circle in the next cut with the Cantab Hall–Southwind Catlin colt Union Forces, who won by “only seven” lengths. A winner in the Stallion Series in his only other purse start, Union Forces is co-owned by Lindy with Robert Rudolph, David Anderson, and John Fielding.
Aldebaranwalkbout, who had made a break in a Sire Stakes in his only start for a purse, enjoyed the drop to the Stallion Series level, showing his heels to the field by 13-3/4 lengths in the fastest time of the six stakes races, 1:55.2. Jonas Czernyson conditions the promising son of Muscle Hill–Aldebaran Turnpike for Aldebaran Park Inc.
In his fifth win, Miller’s horse, the Cantab Hall–Weve Got it All gelding Loving Life, did not even cross the wire first, as although rallying he didn’t appear to have enough to catch the front-stepping Final Claim. But in deep stretch Final Claim lost his gait, and with Loving Life only a neck back of the galloping winner at the wire, he was elevated upward in the 1:57.2 mile. Nifty Norman trains Loving Life, second and fourth in his other two Stallion Series starts but a maiden no longer, for the Pinske Stables and the Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
The purple-and-white colors of Miller could be found on the lead in the last division with Zandover for almost three-quarters of the mile, but then Kates Massive swept by the tired pacesetter, ending any dreams of a 6-for-6 stakes night. Kates Massive, a Muscle Massive–Sister Kate colt driven by Charlie Norris for trainer Ray Paver and owners Harry and Iris Horowitz, held off Explosivebreakway, a full brother to Phaetosive, by a half-length at the end of the 1:57 mile, with the 4-for-6 pacer who has won three in a row taking a new mark.
The Harness Bureau of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission is the official keeper of PA-sired competition points, but an unofficial tally of the standings after the races yielded these horses as the leading point winners: 1. Faithfulandtrue; 2. Crossfit; 3. Forecast; 4. Cantab Ed; 5. Kate’s Massive over 6. Ntl Guard Hanover, both with the same points but Kate’s Massive getting the edge on the tiebreaker of money. Similarly, next there is a five-way “tie” in points among Dudelookslikealindy, Final Claim, Kings County, Living Life, and Union Forces, but Kings County and Union Forces get the 8-9 placing because their two wins earned them the most series money, and they will either get in if somebody defects or will “shake” for the final Championship spot on the 8-wide Philly track.
(PHHA / Pocono)