“He’s real smart and does everything the way you want him to do it. He doesn’t look like the rest of the 'Beaches,' he doesn’t act like the rest of the Beaches. But he races great.”
Im Some Graduate, who began his career in softer company, took another step upward when he scored the fastest win in Tuesday’s $212,142 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows. The event for freshman colt and gelding pacers, known as the Tyler B, was contested over three divisions, with Ideal Jimmy and Spider Man Hanover taking the other splits.
Trainer Tom Cancelliere and owner John Cancelliere often start their youngsters off slowly, allowing them to gain confidence and experience before testing them. That’s the case with Im Some Graduate, an $80,000 yearling acquisition.
“He’s on the schedule we wanted for him,” said Tom Cancelliere of the son of Somebeachsomewhere and Jugette winner Western Graduate. “I start everything in the stallion series. If they’re good enough, they’ll go to the sires stakes. Then, with a little prayer and a little help, they’ll go wherever they can go.”
In the Tyler B, Im Some Graduate made the front with a quarter-pole move for Tim Tetrick, was shuffled back to third and roared through the stretch to triumph in 1:51.1, lowering his lifetime mark by 4.3 seconds. Yankee Artillery was second, two lengths back, with Big Top Hanover third.
Ideal Jimmy has made a living coming from well back, and he was true to form Tuesday, launching a relentless first-over bid that carried him to victory in 1:52.1, six lengths better than Sam McSmith. Genovese rallied for show.
“He was a little bumpy in the first turn in his early starts,” said winning driver Marcus Miller. “But (taking him back) has been working good enough that I’ve been letting him do it.”
Robin Cruise conditions Ideal Jimmy, a homebred Western Ideal-Armbro Nectarine gelding who vaulted over $100,000 in lifetime earnings, for D.R. Van Witzenberg.
Speaking of coming from well back, Spider Man Hanover was last by nine lengths at the half before getting into gear third over for David Miller. The son of Western Ideal-Stolly Lip Bluechip was widest and fastest in the lane, tripping the timer in 1:53. McDave was second, a half-length back, with early leader JK Will Power third. It was the third PASS win for Spider Man Hanover, and it followed a troubling performance in the most recent leg, when he missed by 45-3/4 lengths.
“He raced really, really bad last week,” David Miller said. “When you take off the gate, you’re taking a chance, but my main concern was trying to make sure he finished with pace.”
Brian Brown trains Spider Man Hanover for Country Club Acres, Kenneth Vaupel, Mike Mallett and Milton Leeman.
Elsewhere on the card, Cowgirl Hall was racing off a layoff of nearly a month, and she was parked twice in the mile. Nevertheless, she dominated the $18,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, scoring in 1:53, 4-1/4 lengths ahead of Kandian Klub. Dough Dough completed the ticket.
Dave Palone piloted the six-year-old daughter of Cash Hall-Centerfold Hall, who captured her third straight and boosted her career bankroll to $763,428, for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Jack Piatt III and Michael Rosenthal. It was one of three wins on the 15-race program for Palone.
Wednesday’s card at The Meadows features a $100,000 PA Stallion Series stake for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(with files from The Meadows)