Headed by the undefeated Sister Sledge, the $181,105 third preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies will be held in three divisions during the twilight card on Monday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. There will also be five $20,000 Stallion Series divisions throughout the card.
The Father Patrick – Behindclosedoors filly Sister Sledge may be named after the musical group who had a hit with the song “We Are Family,” but Sister Sledge has been distancing herself from her competition “family,” winning her four races by a cumulative 13-1/4 lengths. A two-time Sire Stakes winner, the faster of which came in 1:55.1 for the quickest time yet posted in her PaSS division, she is also the fastest freshman trotter of either sex on a 5/8-mile track with her 1:53.4 win in a Pennsylvania All-Stars win at Pocono. Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Jason Melillo, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, Sister Sledge will begin from post three in the tenth race second division for trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras.
Her two main competitors have drawn the two outermost posts in this field of seven: the Muscle Hill – Kadealia miss Sorella, a Sire Stakes and Arden Downs winner who starts from post six for trainer Staffan Lind and driver Tim Tetrick; and the Muscle Hill – Armbro Déjà Vu filly Hello Tomorrow, coming off a 2-3 summary in the Doherty Memorial, beginning just to her right for trainer Per Engblom and driver David Miller.
The eleventh race third division brings together three babies who have already won in the Sire Stakes: the Explosive Matter – Flyer Mel distaff Queen Of The Hill, a double Sires winner starting from post five for trainer Per Engblom and driver Yannick Gingras; the Father Patrick – Demoiselle Hanover filly Sherry Lyns Lady, second in the Doherty final, beginning from post three for trainer Jim Campbell and driver Tim Tetrick; and the Muscle Hill – Anonyme Hanover miss Aldabra Hanover, an 11-1 upsetter in her Sires win, who will start between these two rivals for trainer Julie Miller and driver/husband Andy.
Sans Defaut is the only previous Sire Stakes winner in the third race first division, and the daughter of Muscle Hill – Flawless Lindy, also a PA All-Stars winner here, is sure to have many backers as she begins from post one for trainer Ron Burke and driver Matt Kakaley.
Four of the five Stallion Series divisions contains a winner from the second Stallion Series preliminary leg: Perth Angie De Vie (race 4), Burberry (race 6), Heart N Soul Deo (race 7), and Rebecca Clark (race 9). The seventh race division also contains first round Stallion Series winner Path Of Totality. The fastest of the Stallion Series winners, Dune Hill (1:56.2), is also on the Monday Pocono card but she is upgrading to Sire Stakes competition.
The Monday twilight card at Pocono is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono)