Perfect Photo, with Andy Miller in the sulky, swept The Stallion Series, winning the $40,000 championship finals Friday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
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Prior to this win, the three-year-old S Js Photo gelding had won three divisions of The Stallion Series at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Harrah’s Chester Downs and The Meadows.
“I wanted to get away quickly tonight but they were mixing it up front early-on,” said Miller. “We came first over and she just kept on coming. She’ll go a long way.”
Getting to the opening quarter, Photo Charm (Tom Jackson) and Apple Plush (George Napolitano Jr.) were mixing it up with the first split timed in :27.2. Photo Charm, the race favourite, took the field to the half in :57.2.
It was down the backstretch when Perfect Photo, trained by Julie Miller, came first over to attack and take the lead from Photo Charm coming down the stretch.
It was a length victory for Perfect Photo over Apple Plush with Whisk Hanover (Mike Wilder) third. The mile was timed in 1:57.1.
It was the other Miller (David) winning the opening final of The Stallion Series for three-year-old pacing fillies with Mano Cornuto. The time of this mile was 1:53.2.
David Miller said his horse did everything on his own in the race.
Mano Cornuto was the new leader at the half in :57.1 and three-quarters in 1:25.4.
In this race, Hokie Spirit (Wilder) finished second but was disqualified and placed eighth for coming down into She Can Dance (Mike Simons) before the three-quarter mark.
Hokie Heart (Joe Pavia Jr.) finished third but was placed seventh because of the violation by the stalemate.
Benefitting from the placements were O Lucky Me (Ray Paver), who was fourth placed second, and Princessofdarkness (Charlie Norris), who was fifth placed third.
David Miller collected his second The Stallion Series championship with Southwind Nitro in the three-year-old colt and gelding trot.
Trained by William Daugherty Jr., Southwind Nitro won for the eighth time in 2010 on 12 starts and had been very good on the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit coming into the race. This mile was registered in 1:56.
“He did it pretty easy,” said David Miller. “He’s a very strong colt.”
Hoboken Sonny (Jack Parker Jr.) was second to Southwind Nitro, three and three-quarter lengths back with third-place going to Photo Rules (Napolitano Jr.).
The Stallion Series championship for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers was won by Sectionlineblast, driven by Mike Simons.
A winner by a neck over McGreat (David Miller), Sectionlineblast stopped the timer in 1:52.1. Third-place went to Lap Hanover (Napolitano Jr.)
“The race didn’t unfold like I thought it would,” said Simons in the winner’s circle, referring to the early speed in the race with McGreat and Lap Hanover dueling.
“I got live cover on the second over trip going down the backside. Sectionlineblast is a tough little horse. Fred [Grant] has done a great job with him.”
(Pocono Downs)