Washington, PA — Trailing by five lengths as they turned for home, Samosa found the “super speed” gear and overtook heavy favorite Dreamonhigh to spring a 18-1 upset in Saturday’s (May 21) $133,980 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. The other division of the event for 3-year-old trotting fillies, known as the Meadow Bright, also went to a long shot, as 9-1 Palermo Hanover overpowered 2-5 favorite Mon Cheval to score.

Samosa had raced without hopples for her last four starts, but after she broke stride in the PASS opener at Harrah’s Philadelphia, trainer Charlie Norris decided to restore them.

“Charlie told me she has a high turn of speed but be careful getting out of there,” winning driver Mike Wilder said. “I was careful and kind of raced her the way a log shot should be raced. She did the rest. I moved her, and she was gone.

“I think the hopples helped, especially as quick as she can get into gear. There was never a moment when I thought she would run. She was crisp as ever.”

Once Wilder unleashed her, the daughter of Cantab Hall-Kolachke not only erased the deficit, but she also downed the 1-2 favorite Dreamonhigh by 1-1/2 lengths, meaning she improved her position by 6-1/2 lengths in the stretch — a move made even more impressive when considering that Dreamonhigh is the reigning PASS champion and the fastest 2-year-old trotter ever at The Meadows. Danznqueen Hanover completed the ticket.

Samosa mounted a monstrous rally to strike at 18-1 in her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes split at The Meadows.

Samosa triumphed in a career best 1:54 and soared over $100,000 in lifetime earnings for owners Fred Hertrich III and Scott McEneny.

Once Mon Cheval secured the point and got a reasonable 57.3 half in the other division, it appeared the others were racing for checks. Dexter Dunn, however, had other ideas. When he moved Palermo Hanover first-over from fourth, the daughter of Father Patrick-Personal Style gobbled up Mon Cheval and defeated her by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:53.3, the fastest win of her career. Virgin Mary S was third.

Palermo Hanover likewise rallied to a PASS upset, overpowering Mon Cheval in a lifetime best mile. Chris Gooden photos.

“With a small field, I was either going to be first-up or caught in the three-hole,” Dunn said. “She’ll follow speed all day, and she finishes it off, so you never know how good she might turn out to be.”

Noel Daley conditions Palermo Hanover and owns with Lenny Zelin and The Gandolfo Stables.

In Saturday’s sub-featured event, the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for sophomore trotting fillies, I’ll Have A Lindy, Gumdrop Hanover and Baptism each captured a $20,000 split.

I’ll Have A Lindy was stalking from the pocket when the leader, Vogue, broke stride. Winning pilot Yannick Gingras said the daughter of Cantab Hall-Martini Lindy handled the situation flawlessly.

“That didn’t change anything for her,” Gingras said. “She’s the same filly she was last year. She’s pretty simple and does her job. She was very mature last year.”

It was the second straight stallion series victory for I’ll Have A Lindy, a homebred who is trained by Domenico Cecere for Greathorse.

Wilder collected four wins on the 13-race card.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday (May 25), when the program features a pair of carryovers: $11,587.03 in the final-race Super Hi-5, $5,239.35 in the Jackpot Pick-5 (races 4-8). First post is 12:45 p.m.