Washington, PA – Saturday afternoon, the flavor of the day at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows was 2-year-old pacing fillies, and there was plenty to offer. Three Sand Tart Sire Stakes divisions to go along with Four Stallion Series divisions on the 13-race card.
Bling Hanover would not only end up delivering the fastest division of the Stallions Series, she ended up being the least expensive of the four winners. Purchased at Harrisburg for $15,000 by Mitchell York, who also trains, and Erin York. The Stay Hungry filly and Jeremy Indof used an overland route and the length of the stretch to nail front-runner Papi Knows with the last step in 1:54.4.
First time starter Lyons Hooked Up used a similar route to win her division in 1:54.3. Dave Palone moved the Sweet Lou filly first up down the backside and was able to grind down a stubborn Sundownsomewhere. Owned by Threelyonsracing of Ontario, Erv Miller picked up the training win.
Sweet Lake gave sire Sweet Lou his second Stallion Series win of the day for the prolific combo of trainer Tim Twaddle and driver Anthony Macdonald. Three wide to the 1/8th pole, Macdonald and Sweet Lake were able to clear and get favorable fractions and use a :28.3 last panel to hold off the late-closing Oakwood Maewyn and Mike Wilder. A $75,000 purchase at the Lexington Select sale, it was the initial victory in her second lifetime start.
Joyful Hanover’s Stallion Series victory would feature a select field of five following two scratches. Quickly hustled to the lead, Ronnie Wrenn Jr was first at every call and won in 1:55.1 by 3-1/4 lengths. Ron Burke trains the Always B Miki filly that was a $30,000 Harrisburg purchase for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, William Switala, and James Martin.
Bahama Momma and Scott Zeron left alertly from post 4 to grab the lead, however by the half, the Tall Dark Stranger filly and Zeron would find themselves shuffled to third. Sitting third behind the two favorites through three-quarters in 1:24.4, Zeron edged the Joe Bongiorno trainee to the outside and used a :26.2 last quarter to wear down Spoon Fed by a half-length, for a lifetime best 1:51.4 in her initial start.
” The trip worked out really well, and she was game all the way through the stretch,” said Zeron. Let it Ride sables and Odds on Racing own the filly.
“Oh she floats over the ground,” is how driver Tyler Buter described Imagine Heaven following her win in the Sand Tart.
“The connections told me early they believed she was very talented and I’m thankful they were right,” Buter said of trainer Hunter Oakes and owners Flying A Racing stable, Lucky Strike and Chris Oakes.
Unhurried off the gate, Buter briefly tucked fourth before moving to the lead at the half in :55.
“That middle half she was in neutral, top of the stretch I asked and she took off,” Buter explained.
The Papi Rob Hanover filly’s 1:51.1 is the fastest by a 2-year-old this year on a five-eighths mile track.
“Today Loua Dipa was an unopened present that you think you know what it is but you need to open it to make sure,” owner Mark Weaver said following the Sweet Lou filly’s 1:52.4 effort in her Sand Tart Stakes.
Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. patiently worked Loua Dipa to the lead and a quiet :57.1 opening half. From there, the pair would roll on to a length and a half victory over pocket-sitter Big Weekend and Matt Kakaley.
Bred and owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi, the youngster has drawn comparisons to her older accomplished sister Looksgoodinlulu.
“Training down and in the qualifiers, we thought and hoped she had this in her but you’re never sure. We are thrilled with her performance today,” a smiling Weaver concluded.
For the day, Jeremy Indof and Aaron Merriman each had two wins and Ron Burke tallied three. Sweet Lou sired two Stallion Series winners as well as a Sand Tart winner.
For the week, Ronnie Wrenn Jr’s 11 wins gave him top honors while the Burke stable added 10 wins to their nation’s leading total.
Racing resumes Wednesday (July 9) with a first post time of 12:45 p.m.