A quartet of $200,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championships for two-year-olds were in the spotlight at The Meadows on Tuesday, and the biggest star of the evening show didn’t disappoint
.
That high profile horse was One More Laugh, who came into Tuesday's tilt for trainer Ray Schnittker fresh off a World Record performance of 1:49.2 in the $600,000 Governor’s Cup at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack. The son of Mcardle-Fancy Creek Funny tracked cover in tonight’s tilt for driver Tim Tetrick, who rallied the youngster to a stakes record clocking of 1:50.2. Fashion Heart was second and third went to Nova Artist.
It was the seventh consecutive score for the pacer, who has captured eight of his nine starts for Schnittker and partners Mathias Meinzinger and Jerry Silva. The $100,000 paycheque bumped his earnings to $519,856.
In other action, Pilgrims Taj delivered as the 1-5 favourite in the two-year-old trotting colt and gelding division. Michel Lachance rallied the Monte Gelrod-trained son of Broadway Hall-BWT Majia rallied first over and wore down the leaders en route to scoring in a stakes record clocking of 1:55.3. Hard Livin was next best and Freedom Ridge, who laid fractions of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.2, held on for the show dough.
Robert Bongiorno, Peter Heffering, Bix L Di Meo and Val Dor Farms share ownership on the rookie, who now boasts a 5-3-0 in eight career tries. He has stashed away $425,127 in the process.
Driver Brian Sears and trainer John Stark, Jr. joined forces to win the two-year-old pacing filly event with Dancinwiththestarz, who brushed to the top shortly after a :27.3 opening panel and laid down middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.2 before kicking home in :28.2 to stop the teletimer in 1:52.4. It was a career-best clocking for the daughter of Four Starzzz Shark-So Western, who fended off late challenge from runner-up Native Doll. Bordeaux Nourrir grab the third prize.
It was the sixth win of the season in just nine trips postward for Dancinwiththestarz, who is owned by W Springtime Racing Stb. and Shannon Brott. The filly, who was a $39,000 ticket at last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, bumped her lifetime earnings to $187,421 with the win.
A “lightning lane” score was turned in by Fashion Feline, who halted the teletimer in 1:56.2 in the two-year-old filly trot division. Dave Palone worked out a pocket trip for the Jim Campbell-trained daughter of Broadway Hall-Sly Fox, who defeated Barham Hanover and Action Broadway.
Fashion Farms LLC of New Hope, PA owns the freshman, who now owns a 6-1-0 record in nine lifetime starts. The $9,000 Harrisburg Yearling Sale purchase has stuffed away more than $286,000 to date.