by Jim Beviglia, Publicity Assistant, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Western Graduate closed out her stellar Pennsylvania Sire Stakes career with a thrilling comeback win in the final for 3-year-old fillies on the pace, highlighting Pennsylvania Championship Day at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Saturday afternoon.

Championship races were held in four 3-year-old divisions at Pocono (trotting fillies, pacing fillies, trotting colts and geldings, pacing colts and geldings.) Each championship race carried a purse of $100,000.

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Western Graduate won today’s PASS Championship Final at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in 1:51.4 ahead of Fiery Buckeye.

Western Graduate, fresh off a victory in the prestigious Jugette in Ohio, went off as a 1-2 favorite from post position 3 in the pacing fillies final. She worked hard to get the lead at the quarter and led into the back stretch, but things seemed dire when Captiva Island passed and cleared her as the final turn approached.

Driver Greg Grismore didn’t panic though, and he fired back with Western Graduate on the outside in the stretch. The daughter of Western Hanover easily went by and claimed the win in 1:51.4. Fiery Buckeye rallied for second while Captiva Island faded to third.

That makes 7 wins in 9 career Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races for Western Graduate, including state championships at both the 2 and 3-year-old level. Mickey Burke is the trainer for an ownership group that includes Sylvia Burke and George Leon of Pennsylvania, Thomas Cherichello of Nevada, and Lawrence Karr of New Jersey. Western Graduate has now earned in excess of $500,000 in her career.

Trainer Burke also picked up a win in the 3-year-old colts and geldings pacing division, as May June Character matched a track record for his age group with a win in 1:50.3.

With Eric Goodell in the bike, May June Character worked out a pocket trip behind fellow Burke trainee Won The West, the 9-5 favorite who set blistering fractions. When they hit the stretch, May June Character, the 2-1 second choice owned by A Bunch Of Characters II and Sanford Goldfarb of New York, zipped on by for the record-setting win. Won The West settled for the place and Up Front Kyle got the show.

The 1:50.3 mark set by the 3-year-old gelding matches the track record set by Mark’s Superstar back in 2002.

Goodell added a second Championship win aboard Up Front Ben in the trotting colts and geldings group. The 7-5 favorite, Up Front Ben survived a tough first-over grind to get a solid lead and held off a late charge by Wild Wind, who finished second. Overhaul was third. Up Front Ben, trained by Kelly O’ Donnell for C. Ed Mullinax of Amherst, OH, won his third straight stakes race with a career-best 1:55.3 mile.

Loch Katrine rallied from out of the clouds to pull off a mild upset at 5-1 in the trotting fillies division. She was 6^th on the back stretch on the outside, but she rallied out in the center of the track late to pass 3-5 favorite Speedy Edie, who wore down from a long first-over trip. Trainer/driver Ed Lohmeyer brought Loch Katrine home in 1:56.4 for owners Robert and Lauren Tucker of Glen Gardner, NJ. Speedy Edie settled for second and Pembroke Spice picked up the show.