Chester, PA — Allywag Hanover (Tim Tetrick), the 1:48 three-year-old colt pacer geared up for the 2020 Meadowlands Pace with a big victory in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action winning in 1:50.4 over a “sloppy track” on Friday (July 10) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

But neither Chief Mate (George Napolitano Jr.), his fellow Meadowlands Pace elimination “bye”-taker, nor Captain Groovy (Mark MacDonald), who also paced his 1:48 earlier this year, could avoid falling victim to an upset despite racing gallantly in their respective $39,432 divisions of the first prelim for their Sire Stakes group.

Many speedy horses at Philly have recently employed the tactic of securing a decent early position, then rocketing to the lead with a backstretch brush. This is the path Tetrick chose as the way to win with Allywag Hanover, and the Captaintreacherous colt looked in prime form, winning by 5-3/4 lengths to remain undefeated in three starts this year for trainer Brett Pelling and the Allywag Stable. 

The first of the “banner colts” to suffer defeat was Chief Mate, undefeated in two 2020 starts, who got to the half in 55.2 and then had his main rival, Sandbetweenmytoes (Dexter Dunn), coming at him first-over. But the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Sandbetweenmytoes passed Chief Mate through the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.4, a time which equaled his mark. Dunn drove the winner, two for three this season, for trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC.

Captain Groovy was the one to take the uncovered path in his section, and he grinded to the lead approaching head stretch. But the Sweet Lou gelding No Lou Zing (Josert Fonseca), sitting third-in, built early momentum up the inside when the pocket sitter followed the favorite outside near head stretch, then showed good late foot to win by a half-length in 1:53, his third victory in four outings in 2020. Nancy Takter trains the winner for 3 Brothers Stables, the Rojan Stables, and Caviart Farms.

Sire Sweet Lou had a Sire Stake double when the gelding Tito Rocks (Dunn), despite entering the race as a maiden, was accorded favoritism by the crowd, and he backed the crowd’s faith despite having to come first-up, just overhauling Sea Of Life (Andrew McCarthy) by a neck in 1:52.1, a lifetime best. Dunn, the only driver to win two Sire Stakes, got Tito Rocks home for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc.

Captaintreacherous also got a Sires double with the win of the gelding The Greek Freak (Matt Kakaley), who surprised at 12-1 for trainer Ron Burke, and Burke Racing Stable LLC, Piatt Racing, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The Greek Freak was hard-used early to get a pocket trip, but the early energy paid dividends late, as 59-1 shot Diamond Head (Simon Allard) wore down favored pacesetter Enough Sun (David Miller), only to see the “Freak” scoot up the inside to win by three lengths in 1:52, giving him two wins and a second in three yearly races.

There were also six $20,000 Stallion Series sections on the soggy Friday program, with Somebeachsomewhere siring three winners and Western Ideal two, including one each for trainer Chris Ryder, the only trainer with a double in the Stallion Series action. The Western Ideal gelding Barrage Hanover (Vic Kirby) was successful in 1:54 for trainer/owner Ryder, while Somebeachsomewhere produced the gelding Moneyman Hill (Miller), who was a pocket rocket in 1:52.4 for Ryder, and owner Tom Hill.

The other two winners by Somebeachsomewhere were also geldings: Sunuma Beach (Tetrick), who shook off a big backstretch challenge and went on to win in 1:53.3 for trainer Linda Toscano, and owner Arnie Chusid, and Revolt (George Brennan), who took the backstretch-brush-to-victory route for trainer Nik Drennan, and owners Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, and the Drennan Stable LLC.

The other Western Ideal winner was the colt Seriously Hanover (Scott Zeron), who crossed the wire first in his last start at Pocono only to be taken down for going inside stretch pylons en route to victory; this time he made an early move to the lead and came home in 27.4 to reduce his mark to 1:52.4 for trainer Ron Coyne Jr., and owners Michael Cimaglio, Stephen Demeter, and Stephen Giagni.

Finally, the Sweet Lou gelding Sweet Truth (Yannick Gingras) used the successful backstretch-brush tactic en route to a 1:53.4 triumph, coming home in :27.4 for trainer Ron Burke, and Burke Racing Stable LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, William Switala, and James Martin.