Wilkes-Barre, PA – Sangria Summer sat behind dueling leaders Darlin’s Angel and Be Perfect BG around the final turn, then ducked to the inside in the stretch to rally for a one-length win in Saturday’s (Aug. 22) $250,000 Grade 1 James M. Lynch Memorial, for 3-year-old female pacers, in a stakes-record 1:48.4 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Pacesetter Darlin’s Angel finished second and Be Perfect BG was third. The previous Lynch Memorial stakes record was 1:49, set by Grace Hill in 2021.
Darlin’s Angel and driver Lauren Tritton took the lead in a :26.3 opening quarter, with Sangria Summer settling into second and Be Perfect BG third. The order remained unchanged through the :55.2 half before Dexter Dunn launched a first-over bid with Be Perfect BG on the way to three-quarters in 1:22.1.
Be Perfect BG got within a half-length of Darlin’s Angel heading to the stretch, but Sangria Summer and driver James MacDonald ducked into the Pocono Pike to find open road and surge to victory with a :26.2 last quarter.
“That’s the dream trip at Pocono; you want to be close to the lead and then when you get two heavyweights throwing down on the front end you’re licking your chops behind it,” MacDonald said. “It’s a good feeling. I was just hoping she would have a good kick because it was a big back half, and she just powered home hard.”
The win was Sangria Summer’s third in a row and fourth in her last five races for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination. In her previous start, she won the Grade 3 Shady Daisy at the Meadowlands, where Darlin’s Angel and Be Perfect BG were second and third, respectively.
Sangria Summer, who was trained by co-owner Kevin Benn before being purchased by Determination on May 1, has won six of 21 career races, hit the board another six times, and earned $353,159. She was bred by Tara Hills Stud, Rene Dion, Susanne Kerwood, and Martin Leveillee.
“She’s just a gem,” MacDonald said. “Kevin Benn does such a great job bringing these things along as young horses and she just keeps getting better and better. Luc bought her, and I know she’s progressed every week.
“She’s a filly that seems to be peaking right now and hopefully we can keep her good for a long time.”
Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Sangria Summer paid $6.80 to win.