Fresh off his triumph in the Pennsylvania Sires Stake championship, Southwind Gendry equalled the stake record 1:51.1 in Monday’s Keystone Classic at The Meadows — although he had to repel a pair of serious challengers to do it. Sweet Angel Boy took the other division in the $88,500 event for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers.
Although Southwind Gendry typically rallies from mid-pack, David Miller quarter-poled him to the point Monday, where he faced determined bids from the first-over Whichwaytothebeach and the pocket-sitting Chase H Hanover. Southwind Gendry downed Chase H Hanover — also the runner-up in the PASS final — by three-quarters of a length, with Whichwaytothebeach third. The time matched the record Dragon Eddy established in 2014.
“He doesn’t love the front, but he’ll race on the front,” said winning trainer Ron Burke. “When he does things he doesn’t want to and still does them well, you know he’s a pretty good horse.”
The Always B Miki-Gamblers Passion gelding now has banked $259,369 for Burke Racing Stable, Phillip Collura, Knox Services and J&T Silva-Purnel&Libby.
Sweet Angel Boy and Marcus Miller stung the favourite, Capt Jack Hanover with Dave Palone, through a :26.4 opening quarter before releasing him. That may have made the difference, as Sweet Angel Boy roared by the leader in the Lightning Lane to defeat him by 1-1/2 lengths in a maiden-breaking 1:52.4. Dont Blame Lou completed the ticket.
“I didn’t have to sting Dave too much. His horse was pretty grabby, and Dave was just letting him rattle,” Miller said. “But it worked out good. I’ve raced against this one several times; he’s a nice horse.”
Jim King, Jr. trains the son of Sweet Lou-Aries Angel for Jo Ann Looney-King.
Arnold N Dicky had a little stake-record magic of his own as he scored in 1:54.2 to lower the previous mark of 1:54.4 set by Giveitgasandgo in 2016. Although the son of Bar Hopping-Kalibrated raced throughout the Commonwealth this season, all three of his career victories have come at The Meadows.
“When he crosses over, he gets to feeling good about himself, and he’s just waiting for you to ask on him,” said winning driver Palone. “I wasn’t crazy about the way he was gaited at Pocono — both times — but he loves it here. I love to race him when I can be aggressive with him because he doesn’t think anybody can pass him.”
Take All Comers finished second, beaten 3-1/4 lengths, with Lindys Goin Crazy third. Chuck Sylvester trains Arnold N Dicky, who lifted his career earnings to $120,557, and owns with Amy Stoltzfus and Gilbert Short.
In the other division, To Be Frank roared through the Lightning Lane for Tony Hall to edge Capstone by a head. The 1-5 favourite, Sunny Crocket, was a close-up third.
It was the initial win in eight lifetime starts for the Southwind Frank-Kirsi Hanover gelding who, trainer Miles Wollam acknowledged, did not look much like a stakes candidate in his first few starts.
“The owner wanted to keep going with him,” Wollam said. “We got him in with some short fields, and he learned to be a race horse. We have high hopes for him next year because he improved all year long. He wants to do it — that’s the biggest thing.”
Olivia McElrath campaigns To Be Frank, who’ll next race in the Standardbred at the Delaware Fair.
Palone bagged four wins on the 13-race card while Burke and Hall each enjoyed a three-bagger.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday when the 13-race card features a trio of rich wagering opportunities: a $21,237.71 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5; a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Early Pick 4 (race 3); a $1,674.43 carryover in the Early Pick 5 (race 2).
On the racing front, the program offers a pair of Keystone Classics for two-year-old fillies with combined purses of $165,400. First post is 12:45 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)