The up-and-coming younger performers attracted the Friday spotlight at Harrah’s Philadelphia, ahead of two consecutive cards with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races for two-year-olds, with three $12,600 events for the various classifications.
The Somebeachsomewhere sophomore colt Literl Lad Hanover, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner earlier this year, got back on the winning track with a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 going wire-to-wire against the pacing males. Driver George Napolitano, Jr. put the three-year-old quickly on the lead and hung up splits of :27.1, :55.3, and 1:22.3 while boosting his lifetime earnings to $172,611 for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Wingfield Five LLC.
While heavy favourites won in two of the three divisions of the second preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the fastest winner upset the favourite – and she came to the race not only from the Stallion Series, but from a second in the second-tier series.
The Always B Miki–Gallie Beach filly Hit Me Up was developed by noted Midwestern Brian Brown, and it was for his barn that she was second, beaten only a neck, by Lyons Serenity, in a first round Stallion Series contest. In sending her east to race for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno, her connections, including owner Joshua Graber, decided to try her against Sire Stakes competition.
Burke Aims For Big Saturday Night | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Four $12,600 headliners for developing younger performers were in the Wednesday (July 14) spotlight at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
On the trot, Ethan T Hanover, a sophomore son of Bar Hopping who is a half-brother to double Breeders Crown winner Emoticon Hanover, went wicked fractions of :27.4, :55.4 and 1:24.2, then drew clear of his opposition late for a 3-3/4-length victory in 1:54.2, beating his old mark by three seconds. Lindys Goin Crazy, who battled gamely close behind the winner most of the mile, edged first-over favourite Magical Muscle Man for second behind the winner of $156,673, who was driven by Kasper Foget for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Engblom Stable LLC, Douglas Sipple, and Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC.
Pace Night One For The Ages | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.