by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Brian Sears won three of the four Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Tuesday (August 18) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
In the opening division, Sears piloted Moment Of Truth to a win from the one hole in the six-horse field. He sat second with this Western Hanover-Art’s Reality filly with Sand Gesture (Brett Miller) taking the field to the opening split in :28 and the half in :58.3.
It was down the backstretch when Sears tipped out Moment Of Truth to wrestle the lead away from Sand Gesture and get to the third quarter in 1:26.4 before winning by a nose in 1:56 with Sand Gesture second and Marymary Fra (Jim Morrill, Jr.) third. Smoke Pan Mirrors (Tim Tetrick), the favorite in the race, went on an early break and never could recover.
George Teague, Jr. trains Moment Of Truth, now a winner of two of five starts with one second-place finish.
Sears won his second straight sire stakes race with All Heart Gal (Allamerican Ingot-Nine Of Hearts), who also drew the one post for this race. He sat fourth throughout most of the race before making a late push down the stretch to win in 1:54.1. Anadarko Hanover (Tim Tetrick) finished second but was placed third for a lapped on break at the wire while Winning Character (Yannick Gingras) was placed second after finishing third.
Luis Porfilio trains All Heart Gal, who has three wins in five starts and one second-place finish.
Bordeaux Nourrir, a Western Hanover-Latte Lady filly driven by Gingras and trained by Ron Burke, produced the fastest mile of the four $68,000 and $67,000-plus divisions, pacing the mile in 1:53.1 and winning by 11-1/2 lengths. Longshots Kimmy (Corey Callahan) and Three To Five (George Napolitano, Jr.) finished second and third, respectively, to Bordeaux Nourrir, now a winner of two of six starts with three seconds and one third-place finish.
Sears closed out his sire stakes night with Dancinwiththestarz, who won as the favorite in 1:53.3. John Stark, Jr. trains this Four Starzz Shark-So Western filly who has now won four of five starts in her freshman year. Second in this race was It’s De Lovely (Jeff Gregory) with Native Doll (Morrill Jr.) third.
Farifant, driven by Andrew McCarthy and trained by Anette Lorentzon, won the $28,750 Open I Handicap Trot Tuesday night. This 7-year-old stallion won in 1:54. Ray Schnittker and Grain Of Truth finished second with Mike Simons and All About Justice third.
Macdeen Star (Napolitano Jr.) won the $21,000 Open II Handicap Trot with a time of 1:55.1 with Super Chuck (John Wagner) second and Aisling (Morrill Jr.) third.