by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — Pang Shui made a power move to the lead before the half and went on to score in 1:54, a national season’s mark, in a $287,352 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Thursday (July 2) at The Meadows.

The event, known as the Albatross, was contested over eight divisions, with Thunder’s Fury, Up Front Tim T, Shark’s Legacy, The Village Rusty, Pandapocket, One More Laugh and Fancyfreeshark taking the other splits.

Tim Tetrick (Pang Shui, Thunder’s Fury, One More Laugh) and Dave Palone (Up Front Tim T, Pandapocket, Fancyfreeshark) enjoyed driving triples in the stake. On the training side, George Teague, Jr. (Up Front Tim T, Pandapocket, Fancyfreeshark) fashioned a triple and Ray Schnittker (Pang Shui, One More Laugh) a double.

Chris Gooden photo

Pang Shui set a national season’s mark of 1:54 in his PASS division.

Pang Shui got away third, but when Tetrick sent him after the lead before the half, he showed an impressive brush and recorded the fastest mile this year by a freshman pacing colt on a five-eighths-mile track.

“I saw the pace was slowing a little bit, and I didn’t want to be first up for too far,” Tetrick said. “He has great manners and a lot of quick speed. Every time you ask him, he has more gears. He always has his ears up, which is a pleasure to see.”

Relaxed Fit was 2-3/4 lengths back in second, with Oakmont third. Peter Pan Stables owns the homebred son of No Pan Intended-Road To Pandalay.

Shark’s Legacy, who had scored via cover trips in a baby race and a qualifier, flashed early speed in the Albatross, going right to the front for Andrew McCarthy. But he was shuffled to fourth at the three-quarter pole and needed late racing room to prevail in 1:54.1, a neck better than Wide Screen. Indelible Hanover finished third.

“He has a lot of speed. We just don’t know how long he can carry it,” said Aaron Lambert, who trains the son of Four Starzzz Shark-Four Starz Boo for Kenneth Tucci and LA Express Stable. “He’s great gaited and drives beautifully. He’s a prefect little racehorse.”

Up Front Tim T displayed the quickest acceleration in the Albatross, surging to the lead after getting away third. But Clyde Francis, second trainer for Teague, knew the race wasn’t over.

“He has great speed, but he’s a little lazy. He doesn’t want to go much unless you make him go,” Francis said. “We try to train him with a group of horses. When he races, we’re worried about him getting to the front because he’ll pull himself up. As long as he’s chasing a horse, he’s fine. You saw him pull out of the hole today — like a rocket.”

Up Front Tim T held off Sand Savage by a half-length in 1:56.3, with Show Me Up third. Ed Mullinax owns the son of Dragon Again-Matt’s A Coming.

The 1:55.1 mile by One More Laugh in his division was the fastest this year by a freshman gelding pacer on a five-eighths-mile track.

World Champion Hidden Viggorish already owns four track records at The Meadows and may have a hard time finding other marks to conquer. So on Thursday, she lowered one of her own records a tick, taking the $27,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot in 1:54, fastest ever by an older trotting mare at The Meadows. Brian Zendt drove the 6-year-old daughter of SJ’s Caviar-Tia Maria for trainer Bill Zendt and Harmony Spring Stable.