Wilkes-Barre, PA — Bella Bellini and Lady Chaos added their names to the list of 3-year-old trotting fillies who have won a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event this season, taking the two divisions of the third preliminary leg at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono during the Sunday (June 6) twilight card.

Bella Bellini dueled down Anoka Hanover for a 1:53.1 win in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

The Bar Hopping filly Bella Bellini posted a clocking of 1:53.1, a fifth of a second off her lifetime best, but it was her last quarter of :26.3 which really drew the eye. Bella Bellini sat fourth while You Ato Dream, who won the first two PASS legs, led the field to a :27.1 quarter and then yielded to first-round winner Anoka Hanover before the :57.2 half. Anoka Hanover reached three-quarters in 1:26.2, but by that time, Bella Bellini was charging up uncovered with Dexter Dunn. The two fillies went at each other with fury all the way to the finish, where Bella Bellini beat out her game rival by a half length.

Winless at two, Bella Bellini is now 4-for-6 in 2021, with her two defeats by a half length and three-quarters of a length in PASS races. Nifty Norman trains the much-improved filly for David McDuffee, who also campaigned Bella Bellini’s first and second dams, Bella Dolce and Pizza Dolce.

Breeders Crown winner Lady Chaos had her luck improve after starting the season with a fourth- and a third-place finish in Sire Stakes races, using the famed Pocono Pike to defeat Donna Soprano by a length in 1:53.4. Lady Chaos yielded control to Donna Soprano after the :27.2 quarter and continued to track her through middle splits of :57.2 and 1:25.3. Flawless Country, the 2020 PASS champion, made a huge move at the pacesetter in the latter part of the backstretch and actually got a small lead into and through some of the turn, but Donna Soprano fought on, only to see Lady Chaos pass her up the inside in the final yards.

The Cantab Hall filly Lady Chaos, who was let go at 10-1 from the outside post eight, was driven by David Miller for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, Joseph Lozito Jr. and Enviro Stables LTD.

Father Patrick was the sire of all three Stallion Series winners, including Piper Hanover, who remained perfect in Stallion Series races while taking a new mark of 1:52.4. The Tony Alagna trainee sped home in :27.3 under the guidance of Andy McCarthy for Brittany Farms, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and Al Libfeld.

Andy’s brother Todd also accounted for a Stallion Series contest, as Dazzling Reign lowered her mark to 1:54.1 for trainer Claude Huckabone III and owner James Crawford IV. Also taking a new speed record was A Hopeful Prayer, who had been nosed out in her only previous Stallion Series race, winning on the lead in 1:53.3 for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller, and the ownership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Little E LLC.

Pocono continues its racing week with Monday (June 7) and Tuesday (June 8) cards at 12:30 p.m.; program pages will be available at the PHHA website.