When Harley Momma set a stake record of 1:57.2 in a division of Monday’s $140,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event at The Meadows, that was good news for trainer/driver Jim Raymer and owner Harbor Racing Stable. The news was about to get even better.
Just two races later, Nitro Nittany captured another division in 1:56.1 for Raymer and Harbor Racing, giving the stable two records in the same stake within about 40 minutes.
“It’s good to be surprised that way,” Raymer said. “We’ve had a lot of surprises the other way.”
Harley Momma enjoyed the more conventional trip for Raymer, grabbing the early lead and jogging home to defeat the pocket-sitting Tweet Me by 2-1/4 lengths. Bella Palazzo rallied for show. The time knocked two ticks off the previous stake record established by Temple Blue Chip in 2011.
“She’s gifted; we hope she keeps coming,” Raymer said of the daughter of SJs Caviar-Harley Honey, a $30,000 yearling acquisition. “The better group is probably two seconds quicker than that. Hopefully she’ll keep her wits about her when we try her in the PA Sires Stakes. That’s the plan, anyway.”
Nitro Nittany’s journey, on the other hand, was suspenseful, as she fell 12 lengths behind the loose leader, Simply Sassy, at the half. But the daughter of Explosive Matter-Miss Nittany began to reel in her rival down the backside before passing her in the lane and defeating her by 3-1/2 lengths. Dream That Dream earned show. The win kept Nitro Nittany undefeated in two starts, both in the stallion series.
“She tries hard,” Raymer said. “If she sees a horse in front of her, she’s one of those rare animals that wants to go get the next one. We’ll follow the same program with her as we do with Harley Momma, probably try her in the sires stakes next. I didn’t want to throw her to the wolves early.”
After improving in her last two outings, Champagne Dreams put it all together Monday, pulling the pocket early and drawing off to score her maiden victory by 8-1/2 lengths in 1:58.4. Pixel Queen and Reality Storm completed the ticket.
“The first start I drove her, they said. ‘Just keep her trotting,’ and she did,” Miller said. “Last week, she felt like she was much better. Today, she could have trotted in 1:57, she was that good. She has really come around. She feels like she’s really learning.”
Michael Hall trains Champagne Dreams, a daughter of SJs Caviar-Kelley’s Winner for LA Express Stable.
The stakes were contested over seven divisions, with Donatos Peach (1:59.1), Winky Dink (2:00), Miss Geneva (1:57.4) and Pray With Me (1:57.2) also taking $20,000 splits.
Aaron Merriman (Donatos Peach, Winky Dink) and Brett Miller (Champagne Dreams, Miss Geneva) each fashioned a stakes double.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Trot, Perfect Chance shot the Lightning Lane to collect her fourth win in her last five starts for Dave Palone, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Victory Is Coming, the even-money favourite, was second, with Dont Blink third. The six-year-old daughter of Andover Hall-Perfect Patty vaulted over $300,000 in career earnings.
Stake racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday with three divisions of the Delmonica Hanover, a $254,184 PA Sires Stake for freshman filly trotters. First post is 12:55 PM.
(The Meadows)