One week after a record-setting Super Stakes Sunday at Chester Racetrack, Clear Vision ($31.40) etched his name in the Chester record books, taking a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Sunday, August 23 in 1:49.3, a North America season's best for three-year-old pacing geldings on a five-eighths mile track. The time also went down as a new track record.
With a speed bias in full force, David Miller brushed to the front with the gelded son of Western Hanover off a :26.2 first quarter, overtaking Dan Carter (driven by Yannick Gingras) before being pressed by Schoolkids (Ron Pierce) through a :54 half mile.
With Schoolkids fading up the backstretch, and 1-2 favourite Fire On the Water gapping poor cover, Clear Vision and Dan Carter broke away from the field on the far turn, with Clear Vision holding sway by a length and three-quarters. Fire On the Water, despite little kick in the stretch, finished third.
Richard 'Nifty' Norman trains Clear Vision for John Fielding and David McDuffee.
David Miller notched a stakes double with 1-5 favourite Arctic Warrior (1:51), while Bunkmeister was victorious under Andy McCarthy at 2-5 odds (1:51.1). Other division winners were Pangiorno (1:50.3, George Napolitano, Jr.) and 14-1 upset winner Picassos Boy (1:51.4, Corey Callahan).
(With files from Chester)