by PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Caviart Ally and Agent Q both posted their second victories in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition for 3-year-old pacing fillies, winning their divisions of the third preliminary leg Saturday night (Aug. 12) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Curtis Salonick photo

Agent Q notches another win on Saturday at Pocono.

Caviart Ally, who jumped into the national consciousness with her 196-1 second behind Agent Q in the Lynch Championship here at Pocono on July 1, here brushed to the lead with a :26.2 buzz down the backstretch for driver Andrew McCarthy, then held off a late charge from Way Bettor. This was her first Sire Stakes start for Hall of Fame trainer Bob McIntosh, and she won by a neck in 1:51, with Inverse Hanover another ¾ of a length back in third.

The victorious daughter of Bettor’s Delight broke in the first Sires leg, her seasonal debut, then won in her second Sires start at The Meadows. With this victory she now has a career bankroll of $324,075 for trainer Noel Daley and Caviart Farms.

Agent Q won her initial Sire Stakes outing at Harrah’s Philadelphia, then skipped the second leg to try the Fan Hanover fillies at Mohawk Racetrack, where she missed a nose in the final. But since that setback the Western Terror filly has not lost as she posted victories in her Lynch elimination, the final, the Mistletoe Shalee, and on 1:50.4 triumph on Saturday.

She was moved to the lead past the quarter-mile markert by driver Scott Zeron and defeated early leader Bettors Up by 1-3/4 lengths, with 2016 North American champion Idyllic Beach another three-quarters of a length back in third.

Aaron Lambert is the trainer of the consistent and fast miss (19-9-9-0 in her career), who has earnings of $853,679 for Martin Scharf, Rochetti Cassar Racing, and Robert Muscara.

After three preliminary rounds Inverse Hanover and tonight’s two winners have firmly established themselves atop the pointwinners ladder. Inverse Hanover’s third added to a second and first to put her atop with 75 points, one ahead of Caviart Ally, with Agent Q at 70.

The $20,000 overnight pacing feature saw the turnaround story of Mr Julian complete another successful chapter, as the son of I Scoot Hanover moved to the lead after a :26.1 quarter by Major Uptrend. He then posted middle splits of :53.3 and 1:21.2, and then hold off the potential pocket rocket by a neck in 1:50.1.

Owner/trainer Jason Johnson, claimed the 5-year-old horse for $7,500 at The Meadowlands on June 23. He then lost him to a $7,500 claim on July 1 and went right back in to get him for $7,500 on July 8.

The horse ran his recent record to 8-7-1-0-$37,287 after he had earned $75,930 in his first 84 trips behind the starting gate.