Wilkes-Barre, PA — Rodeo Drive Deo reversed the Fan Hanover final order of finish over freshman champion Miki And Minnie on Saturday (June 21) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania as 3-year-old pacing fillies gathered to contest $232,240 in the second preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series action.
In the main event, Miki And Minnie got away fourth in a field of seven with Rodeo Drive Deo right behind her as Cant See Me made the lead around Who Are You at the :27.1 opener with Stevie Hanover settling third. The pace was backed off to :56.3 at the half, at which point Stevie Hanover came out uncovered, with Miki And Minnie and Rodeo Drive Deo second- and third-over, respectively.
As the field reached the three-quarters in 1:23.2, Dexter Dunn tipped Miki And Minnie three-wide and quickly circled to take over the first-over seat; Rodeo Drive Deo and David Miller followed her in the three-path then continued out wide building momentum. Miki And Minnie made the lead in early stretch, but the Captaintreacherous miss Rodeo Drive Deo had dead aim, and she had a bit quicker of a last sixteenth to take the head victory in 1:51.
Rodeo Drive Deo scored her third win of the year, and Miki And Minnie — despite pacing her last half in :53.3 — tasted her first defeat after opening with three straight victories.
Ron Burke conditions Rodeo Drive Deo, who boosted her earnings to $521,459, for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Beasty LLC and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
The winners in the PASS first leg, Asphalt and Good As You, were both in the second Sire Stakes division Saturday, but they had to settle for second and third, respectively, behind Papi Grad, a Papi Rob Hanover filly who won nicely for driver Todd McCarthy in a career best 1:50.
Papi Grad, second to Asphalt in her seasonal bow, was the second choice at even money to that Asphalt’s 4-5, and after yielding the early lead through a :26.4 quarter, the winner regained past the chalk to a :54.4 half, with Good As You coming up first-over but unable to sustain her gains past the 1:22.2 three-quarters. Papi Grad still had enough to defeat Asphalt by 1-1/2 lengths.
Papi Grad, now seven-for-12 lifetime with a bankroll of $325,267, is trained by Steve Carter for Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hooper, TKO Racing Stable LLC and Scpstable&Friedlandracing.
The Always B Miki filly Always Dawn became the only Stallion Series double winner when she captured her division in a lifetime mark of 1:51. Matron Stakes winner Faze was favored in her seasonal debut and indeed had her chance up the Pocono Pike, but Always Dawn, uncovered from mid-backstretch, kept on grinding and defeated the chalk by a head for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Anthony Beaton, and owner Leo Fleming.
Both Andy McCarthy and his brother Todd won two Stallion Series divisions, and each brother had a 1:50.4 Stallion Series winner, the fastest clocking in this segment. Andy’s came with a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover, Gigglingonthebeach, who despite not having raced in 40 days took a new speed badge for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm.
Todd’s 1:50.4 also established a lifetime best for Au Jus Hanover, a daughter of Stay Hungry who made her first start for trainer Andrew Harris a winning one; she is owned by Casie Coleman, Dumain Haven Farm LLC, Mac Nichol and Kevin McKinlay. Todd also won with a daughter of Captaintreacherous, Simply Perfect, who is trained by Tony Alagna for the team of Pryde Stable Inc. Steven and Michele Head, and Caviart Farms; this one went her fastest winning race mile of 1:51.4, although she did qualify in 1:51.2 at 2.
If your last name wasn’t McCarthy, the way to the Stallion Series winner’s circle was with a long shot. The Tall Dark Stranger filly Ballast returned $62.60 after lowering her best to 1:51 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and EVM Racing LLC; Beyonsay Hanover, driven by David Miller, hit all the right notes in paying $44.80 for trainer-owner Mark Silva while giving Stay Hungry another Stallion Series sire credit with a 1:52.2 score.
Ken Hanover has now won his last four starts, all in a clocking of 1:48.3 – first Pocono, then Philly, then Northfield, and Saturday back at Pocono while winning the $25,000 fast-class handicap pace. David Miller inserted the son of Captaintreacherous in midfield from the outside post seven then moved with cover midway up the backstretch. Ken Hanover tipped wide nearing headstretch and went by the resilient pacesetter Spring Inhis Step A to win by three-quarters of a length. The career winner of $826,404 is trained by Roland “Polie” Mallar, who also co-owns him with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt.
The Huntsville gelding Hazeville shipped in from Yonkers for an overnight race and never looked back: After going amazing fractions of :25.3, :53.4, and 1:20.2, he kept on rolling and crossed the wire in 1:47.4 to set a new lifetime mark, tie with Southwind Gendry for the quickest mile of the year at Pocono, and miss Bigtime Hero’s 11-year-old track record for older pacing geldings by a fifth of a second. George Napolitano Jr. drove the Tom Fanning-trained winner, who is owned by David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC and Howard Taylor.
David Miller topped all drivers on the day with four victories.
The Sunday (June 22) 6 p.m. card at Pocono is headlined by a $25,000 fast-class handicap trot, with Southwind Coors, second to Aetos Kronos S last week, assigned the outside in the field of six. there will also be a $539.88 carryover into the last race High 5 pool. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.