In Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) and Stallion Series competition at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Aug. 24, two-year-old trotting colts and geldings contested their fourth and final preliminary leg, racing for $218,582 in purses as well as crucial points before the upcoming Championships in September.
The winners of the three $54,342 Sire Stakes splits were all sent away as the third choice – including Mr Big Spender, who made a break in his last race but had won four stakes in a row before that, including two PASS legs. On Sunday, the Captain Corey-Reilly K colt made it three victories in the series, making a move for driver Mike Wilder nearing the :28.2 quarter, getting the lead and a breather to the half in :57.3, and then just overpowering the competition from there, passing the three-quarters in 1:26 and drawing off to a 3-1/4-length win in 1:54.2. The clocking equalled his mark and was a tick off the divisional track record at Philly. Highball Hanover (Troy Beyer) was second over Nebbiolo (Ake Svanstedt).
Mr Big Spender ($10.60) now has five wins in seven lifetime starts, including victories in the PASS, Arden Downs and PA All-Stars, for trainer Norm Parker and owners Bart and Todd Brice. The colt has earned $130,221.
Opening the card was Minoan, a Bar Hopping-Regal Woman colt who now has a pair of PASS prelim wins after a 1:55 triumph. Johnathan Ahle took the Noel Daley trainee straight to the engine, rated him to splits of :28.1, :58.3, and 1:26.2, and the colt won by three lengths over favoured Mr Penner (Svanstedt), who attacked strongly first-over but then could not sustain. R Tommy Collins (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) was third.
Minoan ($12), who also had a place finish in a PASS prelim, is owned by Patricia Stable, L.A. Express Stable LLC, Sjoblom Racing Inc., and Daley. He is two-for-five lifetime with $87,013 in earnings.
After breaks in two of his first three Sire Stakes starts, the International Moni-Legal Lady gelding Oversear put it all together in his third start wearing hopples, breaking his maiden in 1:55.1. Trainer/driver Charlie Norris sat third with him off early splits of :28.2 and :58, sent him on the move uncovered well before the 1:26.2 three-quarters, and Oversear did not falter to the line in overhauling favoured Dublin Hanover (Svanstedt) by 2-1/4 lengths. Tymal Kryptonite (Brady Brown) rounded out the top three.
Oversear races for owners Carrie Norris, Max J. Hempt, James Zito and Dr. James Sautter. The gelding has earned $43,656 in six outings. He returned $15.80.
Mr Big Spender’s sire, Captain Corey, also fathered the fastest of the three $27,778 Stallion Series division winners: Captain Jordan (dam Jordan Blue Chip), who took a new mark of 1:55.2 and won by six lengths after controlling the pace under Jim Marohn Jr.’s handling. Harlem Hanover (Brown) was second, followed by Beer In My Hand (Wilder). Captain Jordan won his purse debut in a PA All-Stars contest, then broke in two straight starts, prompting trainer Scott Di Domenico to add trotting hopples. With the new equipment, he has two consecutive Stallion Series wins after Sunday's victory over a field that had four other series winners in it. The colt races for the ownership of Joe Faraldo and Triple D Stables Inc.
Driver Wilder and sire Bar Hopping each notched a stakes double when they combined with the gelding Glenlivet (dam Ireland), who broke his maiden in 1:59.3 in the only stakes of the day won by less than a length. Glenlivet turned away Almost Free (Norris) by three-quarters of a length, utilizing the inside lane for success for trainer Bill Daugherty and owner Susan Daugherty. Big Mahoff (Brown) finished third.
The other Stallion Series winner, Bayside Cue, also broke his maiden, after four seconds in his first five career starts. The Cue Hall-Happy Everything gelding sat the pocket after taking an early lead, then produced the best late kick to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.3 for driver Brandon Givens, trainer Les Givens and owner J M B Ventures. Hattrick Patrick (Brown) followed him home, with Storm Hanover (Todd Schadel) third.
In overnight action, Tru Blu Hypnotic ($3.60) extended his winning streak to five and his run of being claimed to three consecutive outings. In his return to the Hunter Oakes barn, he got every call and scored by a length in 1:51.4 with Jack Pelling in the bike. The eight-year-old son of Hypnotic Blue Chip-Hawks Cry Lila was owned by Flying A Racing Stable in the win but will race for new proprietors in his next start.
Geovany Hernandez and Yogi Sheridan both delivered favourites to the winner’s circle in their respective $10,417 pacing divisions of the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC). The first division was won by 6-5 chalk Classic, trained and driven by Hernandez, in a 1:55.1 mile and the second was won by 2-5 favourite Sunshines Finest in a 1:55.4 mile with Sheridan driving for trainer William Clark Jr.
Racing at Harrah's Philly will resume on Thursday with a 12:25 p.m. starting time, with the usual “Trottin’ Thursday” mix of developing horses and fast-class competitors in the feature spotlight.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia & AHDC; photo of Mr Big Spender winning on Aug. 2 at The Meadows)