Buckeye Nation easily won his division of a $246,288 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for freshman pacing colts and geldings at The Meadows on Thursday afternoon.
The stake, known as the Tyler B, was contested over six divisions, with Panmunjom, Spring Again, Passit, Wambam Sam and Clear Vision capturing the other splits.
Dave Palone fashioned a four-bagger in the stake with Buckeye Nation, Panmunjom, Spring Again and Wambam Sam, among his seven driving victories on the 16-race card.
Palone sent Buckeye Nation to the lead and the son of Allamerican Native front-stepped his way to a 1:54.3 victory over Magicmaker Hanover and Pro Prospect.
Robert Reynolds, Jr., who trains the $8,000 yearling purchase for Kevin Reynolds, said Buckeye Nation will compete in the PASS championship and the Keystone Classic. Following those events, he's catalogued for sale in Harrisburg.
"He was good right off the bat," Reynolds said. "He won here in July, and he's kept right on trucking."
Panmunjom, a Peter Pan Stables homebred, survived a wicked duel with Arctic Warrior to win in a time of 1:52.3. Artistic Warrior was second best.
Tony Alagna, who trains the son of The Panderosa, said the colt has adapted well to a new piece of protective equipment.
"He got a rock in his eye at Tioga Downs," Alagna said. "It hit the cornea and he had a scratch on it. As it began to heal, he was having some problems behind it with the blood vessels. So he wears a bug screen right now. The eye looks great now. We just leave the screen on as an extra precaution."
Alagna said Panmunjom, who won for the fourth time in five starts, is ticketed for the PASS championship and Grand Circuit action at The Red Mile.
Spring Again was acquired as a two-year-old by Jean Picard for $8,500 - a steal considering that the colt has won six times in eight races and banked nearly $92,000.
"He's done everything right, and he's stayed sound," said his trainer, Gary Lemaister. "He's never been the biggest guy, but he's all heart."
In the Tyler B, Palone made a decisive quarter-pole move with the son of Dragon Again-Western Spring, who won convincingly over Chasin Racin in 1:53.2. Tidewater Tomahawk was third.
Lemaister said Spring Again's season will end with the PASS championship.
(The Meadows)