The two-year-old pacing filly JK Lady Liberty, by Captain Crunch out of 2014 Horse of the Year JK Shesalady, became the only two-time Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner in her section during the third preliminary round for the state-sired horses at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Aug. 9.
In the first $88,093 division, JK Lady Liberty gradually made her way to the lead at the :27.3 quarter under measured handling by Corey Callahan, then yielded to brushing Gold Impact (Mike Wilder) to sit the two-hole behind middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25. The pacesetter battled on gamely, but JK Lady Liberty gained ground in a :26.4 last quarter to win by a half-length in 1:52, her third straight triumph for trainer Nancy Takter and owner/breeder 3 Brothers Stables of New York City, New York.
In the other $88,649 division, the Captaintreacherous-Lifetime Trust miss Loyal To The End was also a pocket-sitter from just past the :27 quarter on, but after a :54.4 half, she was shuffled and found herself fifth at the 1:22.4 three-quarters – her competition was vying two and three-wide for a commanding position. But the outer tiers melted off, and Johnathan Ahle was able to get Loyal To The End to overhaul pacesetting favourite Positive Princess (Corey Callahan) by 1-3/4 lengths while equalling her mark of 1:52.1.
Loyal To The End started her career with wins in a Stallion Series and a Pennsylvania All-Stars event, then was fourth upon trying the PASS, but here she got the job done for trainer Noel Daley and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton, Florida, Jesmeral Stable of New Rochelle, New York, Hutchison Harness of North Ridgeville, Ohio and CT Stables of Washington Court House, Ohio.
Four $27,778 Stallion Series divisions were also contested and the Sweet Lou-Restive Hanover filly Boardwalk Babe became the only two-time winner in this group while winning in the day’s fastest split, 1:52.1, a new mark, for driver Jim Marohn Jr. After one stakes start in Canada, Boardwalk Babe came to trainer for Joe Pavia Jr. and the Double The Fun Stable of Briarcliff Manor, New York, and she has now won three in a row.
The other Stallion Series chalk to triumph was also driven by Marohn – the Heston Blue Chip-Past Post filly Step It Up, who had won two overnights and here added a stakes credit to her tally by stopping the timer in 1:53.3. Linda Toscano is her conditioner for Let It Ride Stables Inc. (giving them PASS and a Stallion Series credit on the day), South Mountain Stables of Millburn, New Jersey and Richard Freese of Northfield, Ohio.
Sweet Lou sired a second Stallion Series winner in A Secret Treasuer (dam Dream Of Treasure), who broke her maiden in 1:55.1 in rein to Mark Herschberger in her stateside debut for trainer Nifty Norman. The filly's Canadian-based trainer Meg Crone co-owns with Anthony Haughan of Cambridge, Ont., and Thomas Gillis of Celina, Ohio.
And then there was the real bomber – the Tall Dark Stranger-JK Higher Power filly Jodo Hanover, who overcame post eight in her first start for trainer/owner Carlo Poliseno of Dover, Delaware and lit up the board at $107 to win under the direction of Simon Allard. She took a new mark of 1:54.1.
Racing resumes at Philly on Thursday at 12:25 p.m., with the day’s usual assortment of fast trotters of both the fast-class and developing types; the next day brings the Pennsylvania two-year-old pacing colts to the riverside oval – and all they did in their previous PASS prelim at Pocono was go 1:49.2f and 1:49.4f!
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)