Chester, PA – The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes made their 2020 debut on Wednesday afternoon (July 1) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with four $53,534 Sire Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the same class going in four $20,000 cuts of Pennsylvania Stallion Series action.

“Breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is an old racetrack adage, and it produced the fastest Sire Stakes winner, as the offspring of two Horses of the Year (Always B Miki and JK She’s salady), JK Alwaysbalady, posted an easy 4-1/2 lengths victory in an impressive 1:52.1. Yannick Gingras sent the filly to the lead, yielded to Wicked Ways to sit in the pocket behind her, then vacated that hole and powered off all alone late. The Nancy Takter-trained miss has a “ceiling unlimited” future right now for the 3 Brothers Stables.

Always B Miki picked up another sire credit in the Sire Stakes when his Grace Hill, out of the mare Western Silk, made a quarter-move to control the throttle, then snapped home in :55.2 to complete a 1:53 victory while staying 1-1/4 lengths clear of Marsala Hanover. Dexter Dunn was in charge of the Canadian shipper for trainer Nifty Norman and owner Tom Hill.

Yannick Gingras had another Sire Stakes victory as the Captaintreacherous – Aria Hanover filly Blue Diamond Eyes headed a 1-2-3 finish for trainer Ron Burke with a 1:53.3 victory after brushing to the lead just before the half. Stablemate Continualou closed strongly to miss catching the winner by only half a length, while Ocean’s Apart, another 1½ lengths back, completed the trifecta for the Brigade. Blue Diamond Eyes, the only favorite to win in the Fillly Sire Stakes ranks, is owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon.

Five of the six entrants in the other Sires event came to the race with a qualifying win already on their card, but it was the “non-winner,” the Betting Line – Wild West Show distaff Let ‘Er Buck, who defeated Lyons Softassilk by a neck at the end of a 1:55 mile. Mark MacDonald guided the filly for owner/trainer Ray Schnittker.

Dexter Dunn added two Stallion Series victories to his Sire Stakes win, both with daughters of Somebeachsomewhere: first Beach Crazy (out of Crosswinds Cupcake), a 1:55.3 winner for trainer Andrew Harris and owner Stephen Sexton, and then Podium Girl (whose dam is Cinamony), who was clear at the end of a 1:56.2 victory for trainer Chris Ryder and Henderson Farms.

Beach Crazy earned a 1:55.3 Stallion Series win by 1-3/4 lengths for trainer Andrew Harris and owner Stephen Sexton. In the other, the Captaintreacherous – Auniqueaquistion filly High Minded was allowed to dawdle on the lead to the half in 1:01.3, then smoked home in :56.4 – :27.3 to complete a 1:58.2 mile for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of the Camelot Stable Inc., Fred Wallace, The Bay’s Stable LLC, and Steve Stewart.

Although none were in Sire Stakes or Stallion Series races, driver George Napolitano Jr. won four races on the card.