Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Ake Svanstedt barn sent out three winning sons of Captain Corey in PA-sired third preliminary round stakes action for two-year-old trotting males Monday (Aug. 10) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun, including the colt winners of both divisions of Sire Stakes events contested over a “sloppy” oval.
The quicker of the two, Jimdougie Armitage (dam Quick Bet), broke his maiden in fine style with a 1:55.1 victory. Svanstedt, elected to the Hall of Fame last week, was in the sulky behind the winner, coming first-over and still able to win by 2¾ lengths over Dream Shaq, who had to rebound from an early bobble as he sought his third straight PaSS win but had to settle for the deuce. Second in a PaSS event and third from post ten in a Kindergarten leg before Monday, Jimdougie Armitage graduated with flying colors for the ownership of S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., Brochart Stable Inc, and Svanstedt & Midnight Sun.
Yankee Boss (dam Brigit Of Kildare) won in 1:56.3 just after a midcard storm changed the track from fast to sloppy, reducing his mark from a previous overnight win. The “Boss” was the boss after making the lead past the quarter, with his only end-stage challenger, Big Time Trot S, losing stride in the stretch while close enough to contend. Svanstedt drove “Big Time,” which gave the catch-driving opportunity to a top driver but one you might not associate with Åke’s horses – Jonathan Roberts. The longtime MidAtlantic star is part of the horse’s ownership of Kiwi Stables LLC and Graham Grace Stables LLC, who are also partners in the millionaire pacer Beau Jangles.
The other Svanstedt / Captain Corey connection was in the Stallion Series, which was conducted in four $20,000 divisions to swell the day’s stakes money to $191,292. Hook N Reel (dam Flos Conch Shack) added a second victory in the Stallion Series series in back-to-back starts, the gelding winning in 1:57.3 (three of the StS races were held over fast going). Driver-trainer Svanstedt is also an owning partner with Brochart Stable and S R F Stable, giving those entities a second stakes ownership win. Svanstedt also won an overnight race to end his day with three sulky successes and four training triumphs.
Captain Corey earned a second PaStS credit and a fourth stakes victory on the day in the fastest StS cut, as the gelding Strapped (dam Borrow And Spend) ran his record to two for three with a new mark of 1:55.4 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips.
The other fast track Stallion Series contest went to the Greenshoe – Tuscany colt Scarpa, bringing Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter a second stakes win while breaking his maiden in 1:57.3 for trainer Nifty Norman, whose Enzed Racing Stable Inc. shares ownership with Melvin Hartman.
Friday Night Fats, a Cantab Hall – Lovely Liv colt, also notched a second win in StS races, also in consecutive starts, with a 1:57.1 success over a surface which had gone over to sloppy. Mike Wilder drove the Matthew Burkholder trainee for Dark Horse Farm LLC.
Pocono will be hosting the $1.4M Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships on September 7, Labor Day Monday; the best of this card’s horses should be on hand, as will many performers highlighting the Tuesday 1 p.m. card, which has four $16,000 overnights for freshmen. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.