by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — Hawaiianphotograph captured a division of the $76,386 Currier & Ives on Friday (June 20) in 1:57, fastest mile this year for 3-year-old trotting fillies on a five-eighths-mile track. Classic Lane crushed the other Currier & Ives division, giving Dave Palone a driving double in the stake at The Meadows.

Leaving from the rail, Hawaiianphotograph got away sixth, a position that didn’t trouble Palone.

Hawaiianphotograph scored in 1:57 for Dave Palone, a national season’s best.

“I really wasn’t concerned about where I got away,” Palone said. “I just thought, ‘If she trots, she wins.’ I have a lot of faith in this horse’s ability. I thought if I kept her trotting and fed her racetrack, her talent would take over.”

The daughter of S J’s Photo cleared most of the field with an uncovered backside bid, then took aim on the leader, Olivia’s Jewel. Hawaiianphotograph edged away in mid-stretch and downed Olivia’s Jewel by two lengths. Taboo Yankee was a closing third.

Hawaiianphotograph qualified for the final of the rich Elegantimage at Mohawk last week but broke stride from an outside post position.

“She had a horrible trip there and got crooked in the last turn,” said Bill Zendt, who trains the home-bred filly for Shanamphilaniklou Inc. “She’ll touch herself a little bit here and there, but she has plenty of speed. We had to be a little careful leaving the gate because she’s been making some breaks. But they got over the half pretty good — that helped some.”

Zendt said Hawaiianphotograph will enjoy nearly a month off before resuming her campaign in PA Sires Stakes.

Chris Gooden photos

Dave Palone earned a sweep of the Currier & Ives filly when he steered Classic Lane to a 1:57.3 score.

Classic Lane got away third but brushed to the front with a quarter-pole move. Palone said he considered the daughter of Lindy Lane the best in the field, and that he wanted to drive her that way.

“I just wanted to let the dust settle and get her lined back up to the front,” Palone said. “She had a lot more left. I had a lot of trot finishing; I never let her go.”

Classic Lane scored in 1:57.3, eight lengths better than Promisemespring, with Tag Dancer’s Filly in third. Peter Foley trains Classic Lane for Hatfield Stables.

Primo Spur has been scratched sick three times in the past two months, but he was plenty healthy on Friday, taking the $23,000 Preferred Trot with trainer/driver Dick Stillings at the helm. Roy Davis owns the son of Pegasus Spur, whose time of 1:55.1 lowered his lifetime mark a tick.

Kat N Mouse endured a parked-out first quarter and went on to a 1:53.2 score in the $23,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot. Zendt drove for trainer Alan Davadik and owners Michael Callipare and the estate of Kathleen Callipare. The daughter of Expensive Scooter has won eight races and $98,700 this year and has put together an “every other” pattern stretching over her past seven starts.