by Jim Beviglia, for Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Gatka Hanover defeated previously unbeaten Speak To Me to highlight Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action on Wednesday night (Aug. 13) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. There were four $67,347 Sire Stakes divisions held for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

Curtis Salonick photo

Gatka Hanover was a 1:56.1 winner for driver Matt Kakaley.

Speak To Me came into her division having won her first four races in convincing fashion. But on Wednesday night, it was Gatka Hanover (Muscle Massive-Girlie Tough), trained by Ron Burke and driven by Matt Kakaley, who pounced from the pocket to defeat Speak To Me by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56.1.

Gatka Hanover now has four wins in six lifetime starts, including three Sire Stakes victories without a loss.

The other Sire Stakes winners on Wednesday night at Pocono were Wild Honey (Cantab Hall-U Wanna Lindy), driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Jimmy Takter, who won her third straight Sire Stakes race in 1:55, fastest stakes time of the night; Jersey Strong (Muscle Massive-Vacation’s Over), driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Mark Harder, whose convincing win in 1:56.2 was her third in as many tries at the Pocono oval; and Sweet Thing (Chocolatier-Berdine Hanover), driven by Charlie Norris and trained by Homer Hochstetler, who worked hard on the front end to keep off all comers for her second Sire Stakes win in 1:56.