by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Idol and Smooth Silver were the fastest 3-year-old pacing fillies in the five divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Tuesday (June 23) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

In the opening division, carrying a purse of $49,878, Greg Grismore came from off the pace to win with Idol in 1:51.4 for trainer Jim Pollock, Jr. This was the second straight win for Idol, a Sharky Spur filly who was coming off a 1:54.3 win at the Meadows. Just Heavenly (Daniel Dube) just missed in finishing second with third place going to Gordyyy’s Pet (Yannick Gingras). Race favorite Pedigree Snob (Tim Tetrick) finished fifth to Idol.

Smooth Silver, a 3-year-old Western Hanover filly driven by Tetrick, also produced a 1:51.4 sire stakes win in the fourth division. Tetrick made a big first-over move down the backstretch and blew by frontrunner Cams Van Go (Jim Morrill, Jr.) and won by four lengths over Hatsaway (Andrew McCarthy) with Cams Van Go third. Erv Miller trains Smooth Silver, a winner of two of 10 starts this season.

Joe Pavia, Jr. drove Billie Bluechip, another Western Hanover filly, to a victory in the second split of the sire stakes. Leaving from the eight hole, Pavia got good position early on and sat second behind favorite Racing Star (Yannick Gingras). Pavia, who also trains Billy Bluechip, took to the Pocono Pike (passing lane) to beat Racing Star to the wire in 1:53.2 with Attitude Hanover (Tetrick) finishing third in this race. Billie Bluechip also won a sire stakes this year at the Meadows, overcoming the eight hole, too.

Gingras drove My Lady Bonnard to her fourth consecutive victory in the third sire stakes division. She went wire-to-wire from the six post to garner her fifth win in nine starts this season. Ron Burke trains this Real Artist filly who was winning in 1:53.3 with second place going to 1-5 favorite Kiss Me Kate (Jim Morrill, Jr.). Third in this division was Two Steppin’ Sally (Charlie Norris).

The fifth division sire stakes victor was I’m Not Gonna Lie (Daniel Dube) with a time of 1:53.3. It was an off the pace win for the Western Hanover filly trained by Jimmy Takter and her first in six starts this season. Allamerican Tout (Daryl Bier) was second with Surveille Hanover (Morrill) getting third.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be hosting the 3-year-old Pennsylvania Championship Finals on September 12 and the top qualifiers will be going for purses of $200,000 each.