Wilkes-Barre PA — The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted three divisions of the $168,480 third preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday (Aug. 11). Trainer Tony Alagna accounted for two divisions with Treacherous Reign (1:49.4) and Tall Drink Hanover (1:50.2), while last year’s divisional champion Warrawee Ubeaut posted her second Sire Stakes win in a 1:50 mile.

First up was Treacherous Reign, who started her season with four straight wins, including the Fan Hanover final on June 15, but had not won in four starts after that victory. Here driver Dexter Dunn put the Captaintreacherous filly on the lead before the :27 quarter, posted mid-race splits of :55.4 and 1:22.3, then guided her home in :27.1, two lengths clear of pocket-sitting Beach Bar. The winner of $482,797 is conditioned by Alagna for Alagna Racing, Big Als Stables, Let It Ride Stables Inc., and Mr. Dana Parham.

Warrawee Ubeaut posted her second Sire Stakes win in a 1:50 mile. Curtis Salonick photo.

Warrawee Ubeaut also had a hot start to her 2019, with four victories in her first five starts including a Sire Stakes division in the first prelim, but like Treacherous Reign she came into Sunday having not won in four straight races. Yannick Gingras got the daughter of Sweet Lou away second behind Stonebridge Soul before the :26.2 quarter, then moved her to command before the :55 half. Warrawee Ubeaut got a breather to the 1:23.3 three-quarters, then needed to turn on the afterburners with Stonebridge Soul on her back, and the winner responded with a :26.2 last quarter which kept the pocket-sitter 1-1/2 lengths in arrears to the wire. The Ron Burke-trained winner of $917,174 looked sharp for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Phil Collura, and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.

Alagna got his second Sire Stakes win with another daughter of Captaintreacherous, Tall Drink Hanover, who had beaten both of the other PaSS winners in the Shady Daisy Pace at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. Here Tall Drink Hanover and driver Andrew McCarthy pressed on to the lead passing the :27 quarter, got a short rest while reaching the half in :56.1, and then proceeded to throw a :26.3 final quarter at her opponents, which put her 1-1/2 lengths ahead on second-place Rockin Philly at the wire and 2-1/2 lengths better than Philly Hanover, previously the only double Sire Stakes winner, in third. Tall Drink Hanover has now amassed $545,677 and has won three straight for Alagna Racing, Marvin Katz, and Riverview Racing.

Fastest of four winners in the $20,000 divisions of the Stallion Series was the Sweet Lou filly Sweet Cherry, who left quickly from the outside post seven for driver Tim Tetrick and set the pace, then stepped home in :55.1 to earn a new mark of 1:51.3, two lengths ahead of A Beach Cowgirl. Jim King Jr. trains the winner for Tim Tetrick and Jo Ann Looney-King.

The Sweet Lou sophomore Alkippe posted her second Stallion Series win of the campaign when she shot up the Pocono Pike to post a 1:54.4 win, catching favored pacesetter Tee’s Sweet Ryde by a half-length for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Linda Toscano, and Enviro Stables LTD.

Andrew McCarthy joined Gingras as a winning driver in both the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series when JK Mardi Says also took her second StS win, with the Somebeachsomewhere filly coming off cover to reduce her mark to 1:51.4. JK Mardi Says was 2-3/4 lengths clear of What A Fox in triumphing for trainer Nancy Johansson and owner 3 Brothers Stables.

In the final Stallion Series section, Annie Hill looked like she was going to be the only three-time winner in the PA-sired competitions when she came up the inside from the pocket to grab the stretch lead, but Marcus Miller swung the Captaintreacherous filly Michelon’s Filly wide for the drive, and that one closed furiously to get past Annie Hill by a half-length. Michelon’s Filly, who won for the first time this season, also reduced her mark by winning in 1:51.4 for trainer Erv Miller and owner/namesake Ronald Michelon, partner with Michael Anderson.