from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Hall of Fame driver David Miller took all three $54,785 divisions of the fourth and final preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts Sunday (Aug. 20) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, two of them with youngsters garnering their second Sires triumphs, and the other with a maiden who was graduating to the Sire Stakes off two Stallion Series seconds.

Curtis Salonick photo

Patent Leather won his division in a time of 1:54.2.

Ironically, the fastest winner was the previous maiden, the Broadway Hall-Designable colt Patent Leather, who gained cover behind Samo Different Day late in the mile, then outrushed his foe at the end to win by a neck in 1:54.2. Patent Leather, atypically purchased as a yearling by Hall of Fame nominee Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms LLC, looks like he might be a good $10,000 purchase (the dam was a $483,000 winner) under the tutelage of trainer Jim Campbell, and here he paid $24.80 to win as by far the longest shot in the field of five.

Miller, Campbell, and Fashion Farms doubled up behind 7-1 prospect Crystal Fashion, a son of Cantab Hall-Window Willow who rallied to put the first blot on Cinderella story Hockey Hanover’s past performances, taking a nose triumph in a personal best 1:56.4. Hockey Hanover (Explosive Matter-Hotentrot Hanover) is the winningest 2-year-old trotter in North America with eight triumphs, and he entered the Sunday contest undefeated (five Fair Sire Stakes and all three of his Stallion Series starts), but the unbeaten designation was just put by the boards as the $100,000 yearling edged the $10,000 yearling, with a $350,000 yearling, 1-10 favorite and Peter Haughton winner You Know You Do, making a break and all but taking him out of championship competition.

Miller other triumph was with 1-10 shot Scirocco Rob in 1:55.3, but even the heavy favorite, by Explosive Matter-Fun At Parties, tried to make heavy work of his victory, losing all but a half-length of a 2-1/4 length stretch lead but persevering on to keep Max’s Beast at bay for trainer John Butenschoen and owners Lewis Whitaker Jr. and Kathleen Whitaker.

An unofficial tally of this division’s top point winners at their preliminaries’ conclusion reads: Crystal Fashion and Lawmaker (tied for No. 1), Scirocco Rob and Toast Of Lindy (tied for third), Maxus, What’s The Word, and Fashionwoodchooper and Quality Kemp (tied for seventh); Final Dream is on the bubble as ninth and AE1 if all of the top eight declare for the championship, with Max’s Beast tenth and AE2. The $252,000 divisional championship will be held at Pocono on Labor Day (Sept. 4).

Monday at Pocono, there will be seven divisions of the final prelim of the Stallion Series for this 2-year-old trotting colt group, and with that many horses in play, the competition for places in their championship should be quite fierce.