from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — First-time Pennsylvania Stallion Series starters won all four divisions of the third preliminary leg for 2-year-old filly pacers Tuesday (Aug. 15) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Curtis Salonick photo

Sidewalk Dancer lowered her mark to 1:52.3.

Matt Kakaley handled two of Tuesday’s winners, including the fastest and the only non-maiden, the A Rocknroll Dance-Road Sign miss Sidewalk Dancer, who won her third straight race while lowering her mark to 1:52.3. She danced to control past the quarter and finished with :27.4 speed to be five lengths clear at the finish for trainer Chris Oakes and owners North Fork Racing Stable, Omar Beiler, and Dennis Coons.

Kakaley’s other Stallion Series success came behind the Bettor’s Delight-Sanabellevalentine filly Belle’s Delight, who moved to the lead at the three-quarters and drew off by 5-3/4 lengths in 1:53.3. Belle’s Delight, who was second in a division of the Arden Downs on Adios Day, is trained by Ron Burke for owner W J Donovan.

Both Kakaley winners were mutuel favorites.

The horse evaluated as second-best in her division, the Somebeachsomewhere-Shoobeedobeedo filly Sandy’s Beach, proved the best by two lengths despite going first-over to stop the timer at 1:52.4. David Miller, who had four wins on the card, drove the Nifty Norman-trained filly for owner David McDuffee.

The longest-priced of the four winners, She Said So ($17.60), also had the smallest win margin, a head, but her check will be the same no matter the margin of victory. The daughter of Well Said-Dreams Are Great was stepping quickly late to just catch favored pacesetter Krushed Apple in 1:54.4 for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Mark Harder, the latter also co-owner with Joseph Jannuzzelli, Deena Frost, and VIP Internet Stable.

The only double winner in the first two prelims, Cult Icon, sat out this dance, and obviously with four first-time series starters winning she is still the only filly with two wins. But she is not the point leader. That distinction is shared by three fillies who had board finishes at Pocono to make their scorecards 3-1-1-1, worth 75 points: Real Fine, Round The Beach, and Some Renditions. And right now 40 points ties a horse for eighth and a shake to get in the eight-horse final. All of Tuesday’s winners are tied for 11th, which should make the freshmen’s final divisional prelim, Aug. 23 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, quite a spectacle.