Sister Sledge did it all in Wednesday’s (Aug. 28) $180,502 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for freshman trotting fillies at The Meadows.
She extended her career unbeaten streak to six, completed a sweep of PASS preliminary legs and triumphed in a stakes record 1:54.1. In the other division of the Delmonica Hanover, as the stake is known, 11-1 Shishito rallied from well back to spring the upset.
Throughout her streak, no rival had been closer than a length to Sister Sledge at the finish. That was the case Wednesday as well, as she forged to the lead from the rail for Yannick Gingras and defeated the first-over Sorella by 2-1/2 lengths, with Aperfectcrystal third.
“She has a crazy amount of speed; she hasn’t been tired yet,” Gingras said. “Today I actually was hoping a couple would leave and we could race her from behind. But nobody left, so she took things in hand.”
The time erased the stakes record of 1:55 established by Cant I in 2016. The daughter of Father Patrick and Behindclosedoors now has banked $138,563 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo, J&T Silva-Purnel&Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Sister Sledge figures to be the heavy favourite in the $250,000 PASS final, which is set for Sept. 8 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Sister Sledge completed a sweep of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminaries for two-year-old trotting fillies with a 1:54.1 score at The Meadows.
Shishito was away sixth for Aaron Merriman and trailed by 7-1/2 lengths at the half before picking up live cover and beginning her advance. She edged Sans Defaut by a head in a career-best 1:55.1 while Sherry Lyns Lady earned show.
“She’s been good every race so far,” said Per Engblom, who conditions the daughter of Father Patrick-Yoga for Black Horse Racing and John Fielding. “I think she’s a very nice filly. She’s pretty much fully staked after this.”
Engblom noted that Shishito is dually eligible in Pennsylvania and Kentucky and appears to have earned a berth in each state’s sire stakes championship.
$60,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series — Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Wednesday’s sub-feature became a showcase for Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim Campbell, who teamed for a double with Next Level Stuff and Madame Sherry. Miss Wilia took the third split.
Next Level Stuff vaulted to the front from post seven and never let the pocket-sitting Perth Angel De Vie get close, downing her by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:56. Andela completed the ticket.
“We had hopples on and off her, and we ended up taking them off,” Campbell said of the daughter of Sebastian K S-Nantab, who overcame mid-season gaiting issues to win two consecutive Stallion Series splits. “She does have a nice way of going. Hopefully, she’ll mature a little bit more.”
Miss Wilia also scored her second straight Stallion Series victory by moving first-up for Dave Palone and defeating Keystone Candace by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:57.1. Early leader Path Of Totality saved show. Rick Zeron trains the daughter of Andover Hall-Miss Athens for owner-breeders Charles Receski and Thomas Brice.
“Rick called me this morning and advised me to be careful getting her away,” Palone said. “She sat in nice and comfortable. When I moved her, she marched right up to the leader; from the middle of the last turn, I never thought anybody would get her.”
Live racing at The Meadows resumes Saturday (Aug. 31), when the card features a carryover of $1,100.72 in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post 1:05 is p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)