The Stay Hungry sophomore gelding Snack Attack equalled the fastest mile ever paced in a Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championship (StS) event, 1:50, and his filly counterpart, the Tall Dark Stranger miss Ballast, matched the fastest StS Championship win for her sex, 1:50.2, as on Monday (Sept. 8) afternoon Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania hosted eight $55,556 Championships of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series, for horses just a notch below the level their world-class Sire Stakes classmates occupy.
The two pacing three-year-old record-producers, along with their trotting counterparts, had two things in common: all the winners were the betting favourites, and all of them stayed in control of throttle from before the half-mile pole right through the wire.
In the case of Snack Attack (pictured above), Jason Bartlett sent him right to the lead, rated the half, then got him to step home in :26.3, and the pair needed every inch of speed as pocket-sitter Waffle Blue Chip closed to within a nose of taking it all (trainer Brett Pelling did have the second-third-fourth-place finishes here). But Snack Attack dug in and delivered the victory for trainer Joe Bongiorno and owners Philip Steinberg, Joe Sbrocco, and JAF Racing LLC. The time equalled the record clocking of Flash Move, achieved at The Meadows in 2023.
Ballast, who was the highest point-earner in the prelims for any of the eight StS groupings, yielded to Sammy Jo Hanover but then retook the top before a quick half, and the side-wheeling distaff withstood the pocket-sitter’s late charge by a length while equaling her section’s record of 1:50.2, first set by Odds On Whitney at Philly in 2021, for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and EVM Racing LLC.
The only other divisional point-leader after the prelims who went on to take an StS title was the Greenshoe trotting gelding Lefties Righties, who opened the Championship Day with an early pace-controlling move that he used as the path to victory in 1:53.3, a half-length ahead of Messenger Hanover. Braxten Boyd drove the Jenny Melander trainee for the ownership of Chuck Sylvester, Charles Stansley, Lenavitt Investments LLC, and John Licausi.
The only sophomore champion who did not set a new mark was the Cantab Hall filly Tabdone, and that may have been caused by driver-trainer Trond Smedshammer stealing a :30.3 second quarter with the wind at their backs. Tabdone had enough late in the 1:55 mile to post the biggest stakes victory margin of the competitive day, 1-1/2 lengths, over Princess Jackie for Purple Haze Stables LLC.
The three-year-olds saw all races won by the favourites, but the chalk delivered in none of the two-year-old events. And while speedy tactics got the glory among the sophomores, only one freshman front-ender won, and that one in the latest baby StS final on the card, when the front end had more success – Really Bright, an altered son of Tall Dark Stranger – Economy Terror (she a repeat Sire Stakes champion) who caused an early lineup from the pole then withstood the inside charge of Mchungry by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51.3. Tyler Buter drove the winner for trainer Hunter Oakes and owners Howard Taylor and Chuck Pompey
Tall Dark Stranger sired the sophomore pacing filly and freshman colt winners, so if Stay Hungry sired the sophomore colt winner, it would be honours equal if he sired the freshman filly champion as well, and he did – Lyons I Wanna Chip (dam Zellweger Blue Chip), who came from second-over to win in 1:53.2, a tick off her record and thus making her the only two-year-old not recording a new mark. Threelyonsracing owns the winner, while Tim Tetrick drove for trainer Jim King Jr.
The freshman filly trot was taken by another horse closing from second-over, the Bar Hopping – Frisky Magic filly, Intisaar Mil, who came home 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Sister Wine (second in a four-way picture) to win in 1:55.4 for driver Ron Wrenn Jr., trainer Vernon Beachy, and the partnership of 518 Group, Ryan Smith, and Gitup Racing.
Rounding out the PaStS Champions for 2025 was the only pocket-rocket winner of the day, the Cue Hall – Happy Everything gelding, Bayside Cue, who stalked dawdling pacesetter Harlem Hanover until late then gained a half-length margin by the wire in 1:57.3. Driver Brandon Givens and trainer Les Givens teamed for the victory for J M B Ventures, and Bayside Cue was the longest-priced winner on the entire card at $13.60.
The racing week concludes Tuesday (Sept. 9) with a 1 p.m. card. After that, Pocono will be off for the next week (Saturday-Monday-Tuesday) for annual track maintenance; the next local card after tomorrow’s will be Saturday, Sept. 20.
(With files from the PHHA / Pocono Downs)