A pair of second choices upended the favourites in the $204,634 fourth and final preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, including 1:54 track record performance by Insta Glam.
Insta Glam’s driver Tim Tetrick yielded the lead to Evening Stroll before the :27.3 first station, but had regained the top with his filly during the moderate second quarter to get to the half in :57.1.
Favoured Anoka Hanover came up with a vengeance after the leader, trotting her own third split raw in :26.4 to poke a nose in front at the 1:25 three-quarters. But Tetrick kept his filly on the bit and battling, and in the end the big raw move wore down “Anoka,” with Insta Glam winning by 2-1/2 lengths, with Anoka Hanover saving the place by a neck over Evening Stroll. The 1:54 track record clocking took three ticks off the old standard of Cooler Schooner, set seven years minus four days earlier.
The Father Patrick–Hollywood Hill miss Insta Glam notched her standard-setting triumph while recording her second PaSS win and her third overall in a brief career that has seen her earn $113,349 for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Goran Falk and Christina Takter.
In the second division, You Ato Dream was made the chalk despite being a maiden, mainly because of three seconds in previous Sire Stakes legs. But the Father Patrick–Skara Brae baby Gimme Shelter went to the lead for Dexter Dunn (a five-time winner on the day), got it in :27.3, yielded to the favourite and stalked her through mid-race splits of :57.3 and 1:26.1, then came out of the two-hole and trotted by for a length victory while setting a lifetime best of 1:55.1.
Mike Palone trains the five-time winner, who now has two Sire Stakes and an Arden Downs split to her credit, and she has bankrolled $134,730 for Lone Wolf Stable and Nicholas Catalano.
Without a Sire Stakes win, You Ato Dream still came out as #1 in these unofficial prelim point standings (contact the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission for the official totals): You Ato Dream, Flawless Country, Gimme Shelter, Insta Glam and Pub Crawl (tie), Anoka Hanover, Gold Stones, Evening Stroll, DDs Diamond, Lady Chaos.
There were also four $20,000 last prelim Stallion Series divisions for this group, all won by the heavy favourites. The Andover Hall–Pine Yankee filly Love Muffin became the only three-time prelim winner, as she held off Trend by a half length in 1:58. Love Muffin, who was driven by Corey Callahan, is now 6-4-1-0 for trainer Dave Wiest, also co-owner with Ed Kimmel.
Trainer Lucas Wallin harnessed two StS winners, including the fastest of the four victresses in the Cantab Hall–Evermore filly May Karp, who now has won two Stallion Series races in a row. She equalled her lifetime mark of 1:56.3 in winning here by a rapidly-diminishing three-quarters of a length over a flying Wixx Hanover for driver Dexter Dunn and the Shermay Stables. Wallin also trains the Father Patrick–Miss Steele baby Miss Cleopatrick, who set most of the pace for driver Andrew McCarthy, then held off pocket sitter Myreanna by the barest of margins while breaking her maiden in 1:57.1 for the partnership of the trainer, Mazza Racing Stables LLC, Deo Volente Farms LLC and JAF Racing LLC.
In the other division Pantera broke her maiden by 2-1/2 lengths – double the win margin of the closest of the other stakes Thursday -- while winning in 1:57.2.The daughter of Cantab Hall–Expect A Lot was guided by Tim Tetrick for trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Diamond Creek Racing, Crossover Racing, Joyce McClelland, and R A W Equine Inc.
Three of the top ten point leaders in this category going into the race are now on the outside looking in after not racing Thursday. The unofficial Top Ten are: Love Muffin, Myreanna, Midpoint, Alpine / May Karp/ Miss Cleopatrick (all tied), Cheesy Hanover and Trend (tied), Pantera, and Kaylas Playmate.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)