Mr Right went to the top of the standings among Pennsylvania Stallion Series two-year-old colt trotters when he won the fastest of seven divisions in the third preliminary round in 1:56.3, a personal best, in Tuesday action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Driver Victor Kirby and the Donato Hanover-Hey Mister colt had to overcome a first-over trip, but the talented youngster came his own last half in :57.4 to run his series record to 3-2-1-0, the best of all the babies, for trainer Leigh Raymer, who is also co-owner with Stephen Moss and Harold and Helene Solomon.
The only horse to beat Mr Right in the Stallion Series is Cufflink Hanover, who won in the first leg, skipped the second to try the deeper waters of the Sire Stakes, and came back to the Stallion ranks Tuesday and won in 1:57.4 wire-to-wire. The gelded son of Andover Hall-Savoire Faire, possibly named after the pet turtles in the movie Rocky, is owned by driver David Miller and the Enzed Racing Stable Inc of trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman.
Besides Mr Right and Cufflink Hanover, Twin B Ammunition added his name to the list of two-time Stallion winners by reducing his mark to 1:58.4. TNT Rusty, the only double winner in the first two Stallion legs, was on the lead turning for home but made a break, opening the door for the Explosive Matter-Anklets Aweigh gelding to get the decision for trainer Bennie Magliochetti, having a career season, and owner Mahlon Martin.
It’s hard to believe that it has been 42 years since the filly Starlark Hanover set a world record at Pocono en route to being named Two-Year-Old Trotter of the Year (no colt/filly separate voting then), but trainer/driver Dave Wade is still going strong, as he showed by putting a 1:56.4 maiden mark on the Lear Jetta-Ponytail Xpress gelding Nathaniel in another cut. The baby led at every call for the ownership of Wade, Jerry Brittingham, Kelley Rogers, and William Peel III, also his breeders.
The only siring double of the night went to SJs Caviar, as two altered sons of his stepped home first: Skeezix, out of Queen Of Angels, who broke his maiden in 1:59 for driver Kevin Wallis, trainer Rollie Mallar, and owner/breeder Michael Andrew, and Petrossian AS (out of Elegant Dame), who was second in his debut, a Stallion leg, but showed no signs of not having raced since that event 34 days ago with a 1:58 triumph for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Anette Lorentzon, and owner/breeder ACL Stuteri AB.
The final division winner had even less experience than Petrossian AS, but the Muscle Massive-Raysofgrace De Vie colt Pilgrims Tide followed up on two winning qualifiers by winning at first asking in 1:57.4 for “The Trot Man” of Pocono, driver Mike Simons, trainer Scott Andrews, and owners Edward W. Andrews and Edward W. Andrews III.
The Sire Stakes counterparts to these freshmen will contest their third preliminary Wednesday, with $251,780 on the line in four divisions. The second leg saw no horse as a repeat winner from the first.
(PHHA/Pocono Downs)