Two-year-old trotting colts and geldings showed their class, having to deal with a "sloppy" track and near-constant rain all evening, as they both raced two divisions in the fourth and final preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series events during the Sunday (Aug. 22) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Parola Hanover was most impressive as he broke his maiden in 1:55.2 despite the muck in the faster Sire Stakes division. Corey Callahan sent the colt by Bar Hopping–Peace Dove right to the lead, and the pair came home in :56.3 to be 4-1/4 lengths clear at the finish for trainer David Wiest, whose David L. Wiest Stables LLC share ownership with Ed Kimmel.
Global Pandemic was the only stakes favourite to win on Sunday when Yannick Gingras put the Ron Burke trainee on the lead, got a rest to the half, then came home in :57.2-:28.2 to defeat major danger Kosher Mahoney by two lengths in 1:57.2. Global Pandemic, who had two wins and two seconds in the prelims, is a Cantab Hall colt out of Nicoles Promise, who has five $100,000 winners from her first seven foals.
The freshmen Sire Stakes championships are Friday, Sept. 3 at The Meadows; the top dozen pointwinners (unofficial standings) are in order: Global Pandemic; Kosher Mahoney; (tie) Parola Hanover and S I P; Keg Stand; Troycen; Nice Guy Eddie; Khal Drogo; (tie) Fiftyfour K and Whiskey Hanover; Donzel Hanover; and Double Deceiver.
On the Stallion Series side, the Donato Hanover–Hollybrook Lane gelding was let go at 5-1 despite having two wins and a second in his prelims to date, probably because he drew post 9. However, the tough gate berth didn’t deter him at all — after being hard-used in a :27.4 opener, Oh Boy still powered home a 2-1/4 length winner in a new mark of 1:57.1. David Miller drove the consistent youngster for trainer Jason Shaw and owner Tammy Carter.
Dribbling Bi broke his maiden in 1:59 in the other Stallion Series cut, as the altered son of Cantab Hall–Dream Child was a pocket rocket with a 1-1/4 length victory for trainer-driver Jeff Gregory and Jesmeral Stable.
All eight Stallion Series championships will be raced at Harrah’s Philly on Sunday, September 5; their top dozen (unofficial) pointwinners are in order: Oh Boy; Patrick Hanover; Bar Coins; Amour Deaner; Ginger Tree Brad; Bigly; Big Ben Hanover; A One A; Khal Drogo (making these lists in both categories); Moneymatters Devie; (tie) Dribbling Bi and Southwind Caine.
Southwind Frost left the competition behind as he won the American Harness Drivers Club amateur series race in 1:57.2. The E L Titan gelding is trained by Michael Stallworth for driver Robert Heckhoff and his R.B.H. Ventures Inc.; Hechkoff picked up his eighth victory this season and the 113th in a fine career, in which he has generated a .292 lifetime UDR.
Trotters will be in the spotlight at Pocono on Monday afternoon (Aug. 23), with a pair of $11,700 events for two-year-olds, colts in Race 3 and fillies in Race 5, to be complemented by an $11,200 tenth race that will find six of the eight entrants sporting a winning race within their last two races. That program will also have a sixth race Pick 4 carryover of over $2,400 and a Pentafecta carryover after Bye Bye Felicia ($27.80) and R Maddy Blue Chip ($81.20) generated a $3516.60 Late Double. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)