The shining stars among the 2024 Pennsylvania-sired three-year-olds, some of whom have been racing against the very best sophomores in North America, will be coming to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday (Sept. 9) afternoon, with each of the four groups (divided by gait and sex) of the three-year-olds sporting a $252,000 USD Championship races.
There are also $50,000 USD consolation races for those who couldn’t quite reach the needed points in the Sire Stakes preliminary rounds.
The four Championship races are slotted in races nine to twelve on Monday’s fourteen-race card. In the colt trot, to be raced in the twelfth, the Cantab Hall colt T C I will be looking to do something that’s never been done in the 29-year history of this PaSS segment – to be a Championship winner at two and three. A winner of a record $1,453,370 in all starts at two, T C I won the only two Sires appearances he made this year; he also has a Hambletonian elimination in his win column, but he tired to finish fifth in the Hambo Final after getting roughed up setting the pace.
T C I will be starting from post five Monday for driver David Miller, trainer Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables, and Knox Services Inc.
Beginning just inside T C I is Security Protected, who was tied with his rival in preliminary points won last year and then outright led in that category this season after going undefeated in three PaSS starts. Security Protected also has the possible distinction of being the richest three-year-old trotting colt in one season if he wins – his PaSS earnings of $234,679 USD would eclipse Magic Tonight’s 2012 figure of $231,023 USD. The colt, second to T C I in his freshman PaSS Championship, will be driven by Scott Zeron for trainer Marcus Melander.
The colt pace, race ten, is topped by Captain Albano, a son of Captaintreacherous who was the North American champion for his baby division last year. He also won his Sire Stakes Championship – a Sire Stakes Championship here would make him not only just the second colt, after pacer Satin Town way back in 1996, to win his Championship at two and three, but also the first male to be a pointleader and a Championship winner in his two PaSS seasons. Captain Albano has won four in a row, including the Adios, and on Monday he starts from post one for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley, and the partnership of Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable LLC, Sjoblom Racing Inc., and Michael Dolan.
Rush In tied with Captain Albano for the top in preliminary points by, like his rival, going unbeaten in three PaSS starts, and deserves respect as he begins from post six for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Linda Toscano; so does Gem Quality (post three, driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Chris Ryder), who beat Captain Albano in the Breeders Crown last year.
The pacing fillies will see My Girl E J and Geocentric renew as long a rivalry as two three-year-olds can have. Last year Geocentric had the upper hand, winning both the Sire Stakes Championship and seasonal divisional honors, with My Girl EJ having to settle for second. This year Geocentric won her debut in a Sire Stakes division, but then was beaten by My Girl EJ in her only other Sires appearance. The connections of the Sweet Lou filly – driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Brian Brown, and owners Milton Leeman, Alan Keith, James Stambaugh, and Joe Sbrocco -- will be looking for a turnaround in their filly’s fortunes.
My Girl EJ, who will be starting from post four, just inside Geocentric, for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Ron Burke, was the fastest and richest two-year-old pacer of either sex last season. She certainly has a good record in 2024 as well, with two wins and two seconds in four Sires prelims to tie her as top pointwinner, and a victory across the state in the Adioo Volo at The Meadows. She will be looking to step out into the sun from any shadow created by Geocentric or any other talented rival, of which there are quite a few here.
The trotting fillies looked to have their North American leader coming right out of Pennsylvania – Elista Hanover, a daughter of International Moni trained by Annie Stoebe for herself and co-owners R. Lynn and Philomena Curry. She reeled off ten wins in a row, including the Weiss Championship right here and three Sire Stakes successes, before going into the Hambletonian Oaks, when she picked a tough day to come up flat. Still the highest prelim pointwinner on the card after a 4-3-1-0 Sire Stakes campaign, Elista Hanovr may regain her winning bearings at the track that started her on her way this year, with David Miller in the sulky.
Starting just outside Elista Hanover in post four is Paulina Hanover (driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Noel Daley), who beat “Elista” in a PaSS contest at The Meadows last week and missed just a head in the recent Beal Consolation I at Pocono to recent PaSS winner Sambuca Hanover (post seven, driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nifty Norman).
First race on Monday’s Championship card is at 1 p.m. Scratches and driver changes will be made on Wednesday
(PHHA / Pocono)