Washington, PA – Here is this week’s Meadows Monday Memo.
RECORD BOOK UPDATES
Three names in The Meadows’ track record book had to be removed on Friday evening (Aug. 14) when Tom Largo stopped the timer in 1:51.4. The 3-year-old trotting gelding, sired by Long Tom, set a new career best and track standard with a dominant performance for trainer Scott Cox and driver Chris Lems. The previous mark was 1:52.2 and was held by three different horses – Longshot (2022), Spitfire Oversees (2023) and Fashion Green (2025). The first of those three, Longshot, was also driven by Lems for trainer Cox. Ironically, the very next day, in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Geologic, another sophomore gelding, trotted in 1:52.1 for trainer Paul Kelley and driver Yannick Gingras. The mile would have gone into the record books had it been completed 24 hours earlier.
Also on Saturday, a name was added to the record books, as Shimmering Hanover equaled one of The Meadows’ longest-standing records. The Captain Corey filly trotted in 1:51.3 to win a top-level PA Sire Stakes race for Gingras and trainer Luc Blais, tying the 2014 record by Lifetime Pursuit for sophomore filly trotters.
FOUR DAYS THIS WEEK, SCHEDULE CHANGES COMING
The Meadows will race its usual summer schedule this week, with racing at 12:45 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday and Thursday, 5:10 p.m. Friday, and 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. Next weekend, Hollywood Casino at The Meadows hosts its annual Corks & Kegs Festival on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, so there will be no live racing on Saturday, Aug. 29.
SIRE STAKE ACTION SET FOR THURSDAY
Pennsylvania-bred freshmen take center stage on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 20) , with two $63,000 divisions of the PASS filly pace and three divisions of the PA Stallion Series, each going for $20,000. The first division of the top level features a field of seven that has already combined for 10 wins and a quarter of a million in earnings. The second division boasts eight total wins and more than $225,000 in earnings. A total of four fillies each already have three victories, and two drew into each PASS split.
THREE QUALIFIERS SET FOR TUESDAY
A total of three qualifying races will take place Tuesday morning (Aug. 18) at The Meadows. They can be watched live on the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association’s Facebook page. First post is 10:30 a.m. (EDT).