by Evan Pattak for The Meadows

MEADOW LANDS, PA, AUG. 20, 2004 – Kelly O’Donnell registered a training triple – and finished second in the only other split – with Dave Palone aboard for all three wins in the $124,200 Keystone Classic for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings Friday at The Meadows. O’Donnell scored with P-Forty-Seven, Up Front Tornado and Runover Feeling, who equaled the stake record of 1:52.2 established in 2002 by Wolfdancer Mindale. The fourth split was captured by Oliver Jackson, also in stake record-matching time. O’Donnell’s bid for a clean sweep feel a length short – the margin between Oliver Jackson and O’Donnell’s Answer Me This.

Runover Feeling last week set a track record of 1:52 at The Meadows for trainer Roland Mallar and driver George Brennan. Following that race, O’Donnell purchased the son of Western Hanover for Jack Tramonte and C. Ed Mullinax. The change in scenery didn’t seem to bother the youngster, who went right to the lead for Palone and cooked the field with a third quarter in 26.4. Mr. Delite, who pulled the pocket early for John Campbell but retreated to the rail, was 5 1/4 lengths back in second, with Great Again a distant third.

Runover Feeling was a bargain-basement yearling purchase for Mallar, who has said he really was interested in the next hip number but acquired Runover Feeling when he realized he could get him for only $5,200.

P-Forty-Seven, a son of The Panderosa who has been off the board only once in eight career starts, also had little trouble with his division despite being hung the first quarter. He won in 1:52.3, 3 1/4 lengths better than Out of Character, with Hatitude closing late for show. O’Donnell co-owns P-Forty-Seven with Mark Maynard.

The win by Up Front Tornado and Palone followed a local deluge that forced a delay in the program and a downgrading of the track condition to “sloppy.” The son of Dragon Again, owned by Mullinax and James W. Simpson, inherited the front end when early leader Kublai Pan made an unforced break. That was all the help he needed, as he won for the fourth time in eight starts in 1:54.1. Completing the ticket were Kansas City Spur and Jo Pa’s Signature.

Oliver Jackson, trainer Bob McIntosh and Campbell prevented the O’Donnell sweep with a gritty win over Answer Me This and Western Trader. Looped out of the gate from post position six, the son of Western Hanover got the lead past the quarter. Answer Me This was a comfortable third after three-quarters when driver Doug Snyder sent him after the leader. Oliver Jackson dug in and scored his second victory in five career efforts.