by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Washington, PA— Fear The Dragon captured his second straight Pennsylvania Sires Stake winWednesday (July 20) at The Meadows when he scorched a mile in 1:50.3, matchingthe track record for freshman pacing colts.

Chris Gooden photo

Fear The Dragon matched I’m Some Graduate’s track record established last year and shattered the stake mark of 1:51.1 set last year by Manhattan Beach on Wednesday.

The $190,272event for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers, known as the Albatross, wascontested over four divisions with Western Joe, Downbytheseaside and NormandyBeach taking the other splits. Yannick Gingras won a pair of divisions withWestern Joe and Normandy Beach while David Miller and trainer Brian Brownteamed to take the other two splits.

Fear The Dragondropped into the pocket from the gate, but Miller had him out and moving beforethe half. Emerald Highlands Farm’s son of Dragon Again-Armbro Cinnamon hadlittle trouble defeating the rallying Boogie Shuffle by two lengths, with RJPthird.

“I could havesat in the two-hole,” Miller said, “but he was the heavy favorite, and Ithought I’d go ahead and move him back to the front in case somebody came at usreal hard. He gets over the ground real easy.”

The timematched I’m Some Graduate’s track record established last year and shatteredthe stake mark of 1:51.1 set last year by Manhattan Beach. It’s the fastestmile this year by a 2-year-old colt pacer on a five-eighths-mile track.

Miller andBrown were at it again with Downbytheseaside, who zipped to the lead from postsix and triumphed in 1:51, 1-1/2 lengths better than Huntsville. Bettor’s Pickcompleted the ticket.

“He was alittle keyed up behind the gate,” Miller reported. “He was hitting thebike a little bit behind the gate; that made it worse. He relaxed once he gotto the lead.”

Country ClubAcres, Joe Sbrocco and Richard Lombardo campaign Downbytheseaside, a son ofSomebeachsomewhere-Sprig Hanover.

Western Joequarter-poled to the top and drew off to prevail by four lengths in 1:53 for trainerChristopher Choate and owner Anthony Ruggeri. Emptythetill was second whileSouthwind Jenson earned show.

“I wanted tocontrol it with easy fractions,” Gingras said of the son of Western Ideal-AnteFay. “I figured I’d take my chances from there. He was really strong finishing.In the last eighth, he really exploded home.”

In the $20,000Winners Over 10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot, Tall Cotton parried thefirst-over bid of his stablemate, See The Wind, and defeated him by 1-1/4lengths in 1:53.1. Tamarind was third. Gingras drove for trainer Ron Burke andowners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Edwin Gold and Howard Taylor.The 10-year-old Revenue S-B Cor Peatra gelding pushed his career bankroll to$757,541.