Washington, PA – Here is this week’s Meadows Monday Memo.
KEYSTONE CLASSICS KICK OFF WEDNESDAY
Wednesday’s (Sept. 16) card will feature three stakes events, the first group of Keystone Classic stakes that will take place through early October at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Races 4 and 5 on the Wednesday card carry a purse of $40,050 each in the Keystone Classic 2-year-old filly pace. The first division is led by Aestas on the morning line (6-5). The Papi Rob Hanover filly, trained by Steve LeBlanc, has won three of six lifetime races. Dave Palone is scheduled to drive. The second split is led by local filly Gold Impact, a Stay Hungry filly trained by Dan Altmeyer and driven by Mike Wilder. Gold Impact also has three career wins and is listed at 7-5 on the morning line. Race 9 on the program is the lone, $58,150 division of the 2-year-old filly trot. Shes A Home Run, trained by Vernon Beachy and driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr., is the 3-2 morning-line favorite. The daughter of Captain Corey won her last Meadows start in a track-record 1:53.2, but was subsequently scratched from the Pennsylvania Sire Stake final at Pocono on Sept. 7.
THURSDAY STAKES
Keystone Classics will continue on Thursday, as the card will open with two $24,000+ divisions of the freshman male trot. A total of 11 horses are entered, split into two groups. The top money-winner so far this year is the Nifty Norman-trainee Scarpa. The Greenshoe colt has banked over $37,000 with a mark of 1:56.
SCHEDULED TRACK MAINTENANCE NEXT WEEK
After the races conclude this Friday afternoon (Sept. 18), The Meadows will go on a brief hiatus for regularly scheduled annual track maintenance. Qualifying races will return on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with pari-mutuel action back on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 12:45 p.m. (EDT).
FAIR FINALS, PINK OUT COMING IN OCTOBER
Friday night racing will return with a special card on Friday, Oct. 9. Hollywood Casino at The Meadows will host its annual Pink Out Night, which will feature the $200,000 Pennsylvania Fair Finals along with Corgi races. Post time for the special Oct. 9 card will be 5:10 p.m. (EDT).