by PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — There were three divisions of the fourth and final preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Sunday night (Aug. 19) with White Tiger equaling the world record for his age, gait and sex on that particular size oval.

All three races came down to stretch duels between two contenders and all three times the odds-on favorite came up shy by a neck. Taken collectively, the three miles were the three fastest produced by 2-year-old male trotters in North America this year over length of that track’s circumference.

And there’s one more “three” in the background – the Muscle Hill – Louise Kemp colt Prospect Hill, after winning in all four of the prelim legs, could now become only the third two-year-old trotting colt on record in the 25-year history of the PA Sires to sweep the preliminaries and then take his final, joining Stormin Norman and Billy Flynn. That date with destiny is at The Meadows on Saturday (Sept. 1).

At The Downs at Mohegan Sun on Sunday, Prospect Hill made the lead at the :28 quarter, then proceeded to the half in :57, just as Green Manalishi S charged to him in his uncovered attack. The two colts were both sent off at 4-5, with Prospect Hill going a little bit better late to win in 1:55.

Prospect Hill has now won five stakes races in his last five starts, adding on a Pennsylvania All Stars division to his four PASS wins, for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller and the ownership of Stroy Inc.

Curtis Salonick photo

White Tiger’s 1:55 mile equaled the world record for a freshman gelding on a five-eighths-mile track.

The other 1:55 winner was the Muscle Massive – Just Not Into You gelding White Tiger, and that clocking was not only a season’s record and track record, but it also equaled the world record giving all three Pennsylvania tracks a share of this mark, as Correctamundo first achieved the feat in 2009 at The Meadows and was matched by Mississippi Storm at Harrah’s Philadelphia last season.

The Andrew Harris trainee, now a two-time sires winner, followed the cover of favorite Gerry, then relentlessly pursued him until gaining the late advantage, becoming the best four-legged advertisement imaginable for driver/entrepreneur Anthony MacDonald and Thestable White Tiger Group.

In the third division, Demon On the Hill was trying to join Prospect Hill as a four-time sires preliminary winner, but instead it was the Cantab Hall – Oh Oh Hereshecomes colt Osterc, who joined him as a three-time preliminary victor after a 1:55.2 mile.

Osterc brushed to the lead down the backstretch for driver Yannick Gingras while simultaneously getting a :30.1 breather, and Demon Onthe Hill, chasing him, could not quite reach in the :28.4 last quarter. Osterc ran his lifetime record to 4-for-5 after winning his third straight sire stakes start for trainer Jimmy Takter and owners Christina Takter and Goran Falk.

The Harness Bureau of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission is the official keeper of PA-sired competition points, but an unofficial tally of the standings after the races yielded these 10 as the leading pointwinners: 1. Prospect Hill, 2. Demon Onthe Hill, 3. Osterc, 4. White Tiger, 5. (tie) Flippen Creek and Stonebridge Symba, 7. Fashion Possessed, 8. Ginger Tree Skyr, 9. Klutzy, 10. Mass Fortune K.

Monday evening’s feature at The Downs will be six divisions of the last Stallion Series preliminary for 2-year-old colts and geldings.