The stake, known as the Tarport Effrat, was contested over three divisions, with Real Celebration and Goddess’s Justin taking the other splits.

Lonestar Legend set a stake record in 1:50.2 in a $203,963 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for 3-year-old colts and geldings Friday at The Meadows.

Lonestar Legend, an improving Western Hanover-Precious Shopper colt, had rough trips in the Burlington and North America Cup but has settled down since then. His win Friday was his third straight, including a 1:50.1 victory in a division of the Reynolds.

“He had speed last year, but he had a bad throat and didn’t breathe real well,” said Don Swick, who trains the $100,000 yearling acquisition for Royal Wire Products and United Process Control Co. “We had him operated on and it helped a little, but he needed to grow up a lot. After his bad time in Canada, he let us reprogram him, and he’s been good ever since.”

Away third, in the Tarport Effrat, Lonestar Legend took the lead at David Miller’s urging and thwarted the uncovered bid of Dragoon K, defeating that game rival by 2 lengths. Lookout Hanover was a distant third. Lonestar Legend eclipsed the previous Tarport Effrat mark of 1:51 established by Voracious Hanover and Ben Stafford, Jr. in 2005.

Off a planned break of nearly three weeks, Real Celebration took trainer/driver Ray Paver right where he didn’t want to be — first over and chasing the speedy Shadow Play, who won in 1:49.4 last week at Pocono Downs.

“I was hoping for a two-hole trip, but I didn’t get out of there well,” Paver said. “When I kept him inside once before, he grabbed onto me and made a break so I thought we’d come and sit out there. He doesn’t get tired. He just keeps digging.”

As Real Celebration kept digging, the frustrated Shadow Play broke stride. Real Celebration was strong enough off the bench to outlast Lisfinny by 3/4 lengths in 1:51.1, with Keystone Nautilus third.

Paver said Real Celebration is headed for the Adios at Pocono. David Wills, J. Richard Hess, D.J. Gregory and Paver own the son of Real Artist-Aparte.

Goddess’s Justin enjoyed a great trip in the pocket, but when he was shuffled to third at the top of the stretch, driver Dick Stillings had second thoughts about his decision to stay inside.

“Whenever you’re in the last turn and horses are going three deep and the horse you’re following is 10-1, the suspicions are there,” Stillings said. “I thought about pulling earlier, but the leader never slowed down until about the 3/8-pole; by then, I’d have been parked in the turn.”

But the strategy proved effective after all, as Goddess’s Justin found room inside and scored in 1:52, 1/2 length better than Its That Time. Drive All Night rounded out the ticket.