Chester, PA – Give full credit to Take All Comers for authoring a powerful 1:53.2 victory in one of two divisions of the third prelim of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts on Wednesday (June 23) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but capturing as much attention was the early-race break of Captain Corey, the 2020 divisional Sire Stakes champion and an easy winner in his 2021 bow.

Take All Comers is all alone after winning a Pennsylvania Sire Stake at Philly on Wednesday. Zimmer photo. 

With the more powerful half of the Svanstedt stable out of the race, it was left to stablemate Fly Light to try to salvage the 1-2 betting on the coupled entry, and Fly Light went to the top from post seven, passing 18-1 shot Take All Comers who yielded, and posted fractions of :27.2, :56.4, and 1:25.1. But midway around the final turn, driver David Miller gave the signal to Take All Comers, an altered son of Creatine – Nantab and thus a half-brother to Next Level Stuff, and he quickly took over, winning by 3¼ lengths over Goodashim, who rallied inside to catch Fly Light by a neck.

Take All Comers, trained by Jim Campbell for Runthetable Stables, won for only the third time in his career, but he has had highlights such as a Grand Circuit win at Lexington, a 3-4 finish in the Breeders Crown, and now this Sire Stakes triumph. And not too many winners of three races have bankrolls of $219,937.

The Svanstedt barn did take the other Sire Stakes division with another colt coming in with a Sire Stakes victory in his only start of the season – the colt Delayed Hanover, who was guided by Åke Svanstedt to the lead in :27.2, put up creaking middle splits of :57.4 and 1:27.1, then sprinted home in :27.4 to complete a 1:55 mile, a half-length of hard-used pocketsitting favorite Jujubee, who just edged first-over Type A for second. The win made Delayed Hanover the only double winner in his Sires section.

Delayed Hanover defeats Jujubee and Type A taking his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division Wednesday at Philly. Zimmer photo. 

A look at the pedigree of the victorious son of Southwind Frank – Don’t Wait Up shows where his $230,000 yearling tag came from: you don’t have to go back far to find names such as Hambletonian winner Trixton and the world champion full brothers Andover Hall, Angus Hall, and Conway Hall. Also winning for only the third time in his career (like Take All Comers he did have a Lexington Grand Circuit win), Delayed Hanover, part of a favored coupled Svanstedt entry, has bankrolled $198,630 for Melby Gard Inc. and Åke Svanstedt Inc.

In the five Stallion Series divisions, David Miller performed his Sire Stake feat of having the quickest winner, the biggest win margin, and the longest price with one horse all over again, rallying the 11-1 shot Ritson out of the pocket and coming home with him in :27.2 to reduce his mark to 1:54.1 while winning by 1½ lengths. The son of Cantab Hall is owned by trainer Mark Steacy, Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc., and Dale Larson. Miller also took the last StS cut with the favored Caruso, a Father Patrick colt who went first-over but still went by easily in 1:55 for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Val D’ Or Farms and Ted Gewertz.

Father Patrick picked up another StS siring credit with Sunny Crockett, who has won all three of his Stallion Series races this year after a 1:54.3 tally for “Team Orange Crush,” driver Andy and trainer Julie Miller, and owners Willow Oak Ranch and Andy Miller Stable Inc. Other StS winners were the Explosive Matter gelding Flemsteen, taking a new record of 1:54.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Beaver, the latter co-owner with Bill Manes, and the Donato Hanover colt Donato Patriot K, taking a new mark of 1:56.4 for driver Tony Hall, trainer Rich Gillock, and owners Bart and Todd Brice.

The busy card also saw the two-year-old pacers make their pari-mutuel debuts, with all establishing marks. A filly went faster than either colt divisions – the Betting Line – Sportsfancy miss Jazzed, who sailed by out of the pocket in a 1:53.4 mile for Team Orange Crush and the partnership of Andy Miller Stable inc., Gty Stable, and Louis Willinger. The successful male babies were the Sportswriter – Planet Ocean gelding Camealongway, home in 1:54.2 for driver David Miller (he had five wins in all on the day), trainer Casie Coleman Herlihy, and West Wins Stable, and the Sweet Lou – Breakheart Pass colt Birthday, a 1:55.2 winner for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke, and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.