by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows
MEADOW LANDS, PA, June 18, 2004—Pans Culottes, Kikikatie and Show Off, 1-2-3 in last year’s Breeders Crown for 2-year-old pacing fillies, each contested a division of a Pennsylvania Sires Stake on Friday at The Meadows, and only Kikikatie managed a win—and had to survive an inquiry to get it.
The event, the $122,615 Romola Hanover, attracted a stake record 44 entrants in five divisions. In addition to Kikikatie, divisional winners were Swirly, Mai Katie, Modern Hanover and Ice Sculpture. The Meadows’ leading driver, Dave Palone, captured three of the victories.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/3487-Kikikatie061804.jpg)
Chris Gooden Photos
Kikikatie won her first start of 2004.
Kikikatie, driven by Dick Stillings for trainer Joe Seekman, was making her first start since the Breeders Crown last November. Sitting fourth after 1-4 mile, Stillings tipped the daughter of Real Artist at the half, only to get snarled in a multihorse chain reaction that impeded the horse behind Kikikatie. Following a review, the judges ruled that another horse precipitated the confusion, and Kikikatie’s four-length win in 1:52.4 stood. Forloveofthegame was second and Honest Ironstone third.
“Her mile was good, and she felt strong,” Stillings said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen the first start back, but she handled everything well. She’s bigger and stronger than she was at two.”
L&L Devisser LLC owns Kikikatie, who is now 15 for 16 in her racing career, with earnings in excess of $800,000.
Pans Cullotes, the only horse ever to vanquish Kikikatie, broke stride in the first turn of her division and finished last. Driver Stephane Bouchard could find no reason for the misstep.
“I have no clue what happened,” Bouchard said. “She broke for no reason. She was sitting there nicely in the hole, and she just went off stride.”
Swirly, meanwhile, found herself 15 ½ lengths in arrears at the half, not exactly where Palone wanted to be.
“She’s just a wee, little thing,” Palone said, “and she has one run. I thought my best chance to win it was to one-move her and hope they came back to me. She’s always been a willing filly, and she’s always wanted to do her work. She’s just not quite big enough to go with the good ones.”
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/3487-Swirly.jpg)
Chris Gooden Photos
Swirly takes the third division of the Romola Hanover.
A daughter of Western Hanover, Swirly is trained by Ron Coyne, Jr. for owners Raymond Kwok, Stan Klemencic, William Childs and Rodney McGrath. She triumphed in 1:54.1, ¾ lengths ahead of Bramblerose, with Princess Justice next.
Show Off found herself in a spirited duel with Modern Hanover for the final quarter-mile, with Modern Hanover prevailing by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:53. Armbro Bombay got the show dough. Birdy Crapper, second trainer for Chris Ryder, said the strategy was to send the daughter of Western Hanover straight to the top and try to hold them all off.
“That was Chris’ plan,” Crapper said. “She had trained on the front end and beat all the good ones, so we thought we’d try something different tonight.”
Norman and Gerald Smiley own Modern Hanover.
Ice Sculpture, a daughter of Real Artist, turned in the fastest winning mile of the Romola Hanover, scoring in 1:52.3 over Pantidepressant and JK Matchmaker. The time was one tick off the stake record established in 2002 by Always Cam and Brian Zendt.
Arlene and Jules Siegel, who own Ice Sculpture, traveled to The Meadows to watch the stake and were rewarded with their horse’s fourth consecutive victory and eighth in 14 career starts. And it came off a sickness scratch from her scheduled June 11 race at the Meadowlands.
“It was just a little temperature. We could have raced, but we weren’t going to hurt her,” said Travis Alexander, second trainer for Jim Campbell.
Alexander said he isn’t shocked by Ice Sculpture’s torrid start to her sophomore campaign.
“We didn’t expect it, but it’s not a surprise,” Alexander said. “We knew she had talent, and she’s starting to show it.”
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/3487-MaiKatie.jpg)
Chris Gooden Photos
Mai Katie scored an upset victory in the first division of the Romola Hanover.
Mai Katie, in only her fifth career race, scored in 1:54.3 for Zendt, trainer John Kopas and owner George F. Hempt, on the strength of a perfect pocket trip. Day After Day was a length back in second, 1-2 length better than West Coast Arturo.
“She felt good leaving, and I got a 2-hole trip. I figured I’d sit in there,” Zendt said. “She felt so good in the last turn I tipped her out. She got a little rough, but once I got her straightened out in the stretch, she went by pretty handily.”
The stake was named for Romola Hanover, the dam of Romulus Hanover–winner of the inaugural Adios Pace in 1967.