Chester, PA — Sophomore pacing filly Miki And Minnie, just named No. 1 in the North American Top 10 polls, didn’t take long to show the talent that earned her that spot, winning the single third-round Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event held Thursday (Aug. 7) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Going for $109,440, the richest harness purse in eastern Pennsylvania so far this year, the daughter of Always B Miki drew the outside in a field of seven, and driver Dexter Dunn elected to get a seat with Miki And Minnie early as Asphalt took over from Lily White Hanover by the :27.1 first quarter.
There was no movement as the field reached the half in :55, but then Time Of The Season came outside with Rodeo Drive Deo — the only horse to beat Miki And Minnie this year — on her helmet, and Dunn’s hand was forced. His filly was able to launch a giant third-quarter uncovered charge to take the lead by the 1:22.2 station near the far turn. From there, the race was for place, as neither Dunn nor Miki And Minnie looked at all unruffled as they won by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:49.4. Rodeo Drive Deo finished strongly to edge Time Of The Season for second.
Miki And Minnie is now six-for-seven with $348,222 earned this year and 12-for-18 with $1,182,308 earned lifetime for newly-minted Hall Of Fame trainer Chris Ryder and the partnership of Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo, and Lawrence Minowitz.
Possibilities for her upcoming schedule include the Lynch Memorial at Pocono on Aug. 16, a Sire Stakes prelim at The Meadows on Aug. 29 if needed or desired, and her $300,000 PASS Championship on Sept. 6, also at The Meadows.
There were also three $20,000 Stallion Series divisions for the sophomore pacing fillies. Ballast and Fancy Like Louuuuu joined the absent Always Dawn as two-time Stallion Series winners, with the Tall Dark Stranger miss Ballast providing the fastest clocking of the three divisions while lowering her mark to 1:50.3. Sweet Odds pushed Ballast to a :26.3 quarter, sat behind her through middle splits of :54 and 1:22.1, then tested her in the drive, but Ballast prevailed by a neck for trainer Travis Alexander and EVM Racing LLC; the victory was the sixth of the day for Philly’s leading driver Tim Tetrick.
The Sweet Lou distaff Fancy Like Louuuuu enjoyed a pocket trip behind splits of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:23.3, then gained command in the stretch to win by two lengths while lowering her record to 1:51.4, with closer Pilar Hanover photoing Beyonsay Yankee for second. Dexter Dunn added this Stallion Series success to his Sire Stakes score for trainer Sarah Andrews, who shares ownership with Sandbur Farms.
The Captaintreacherous filly Westwinds, off her game in her last couple, bounced back with a sharp front-stepping score, moving after a :26.3 opener to put down middle times of :55 and 1:22.3 en route to a 1-1/2-ength win over Stevie Hanover in 1:51.2. Todd McCarthy drove the Noel Daley-trained sophomore, now a winner in half of her 14 lifetime starts, for Milton Leeman, Stambaugh Keith Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
Trainer Scott Brockwell harnessed the first winner of his training career, sending out Lucky Weekend, who captured the last race while paying $42.60 – on a day when no other winner returned more than $8.60.
A total of $216,216 will be on the line in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Philly on Friday (Aug. 8), beginning at 12:25 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.