by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Chester, PA — A milestone of sorts was reached very quickly at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon (June 13), 1 minute, 49-4/5 seconds after the card began, when Shock It To ‘Em became the first Pennsylvania Stallion Series horse to beat 1:50 by posting that victorious clocking.

The Stallion Series is regarded as the Grassroots, Silver, or Excelsior equivalent in the PA Sire Stakes program — for the ones that are still developing, or may not be at quite the very top level. But a “B” horse, thus defined, going in 1:49.4? “Shock”ing, indeed, and reducing Friday At Five’s former StS mark, set at Pocono last year, by a tick. (Both races were the first on their respective cards.)

Shock It To ‘Em, a sophomore altered son of Western Terror driven by Ron Pierce, made the lead past the :26.4 quarter, then got a “breather” to the half in :55.3.

But soon Eddie Sweat, last year’s Stallion Series champion at 2 (and named after Secretariat’s groom), streaked up to challenge, and the two wheeled through an amazing :26.1 backside to hit the three-quarters in 1:21.4, with the pacesetter having a three-quarter length advantage at that call and a neck margin as the vicious duel continued through the turn to the stretch.

In the lane Shock It To ‘Em was finally able to put away his game foe, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in the record clocking. The winner, now perfect in three Stallion prelims, is trained by Chris Oakes, and is owned by Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises LLC, Chuck Pompey, Susan Oakes and Timothy Cable.

It’s not known whether a five-eighths-mile track had ever averaged a 1:50 Daily Double, but we know it’s happened now, as former stakes horse McErlean won the second contest in the shadow of the Liberty Bell in 1:50.1.

At press time, one other Stallion Series leg had been completed, with Ultimate Beachboy getting the nod in 1:50.3. Five more Stallion divisions are set for the rest of the card, and 1:49.4 may be beaten today — but Shock It To ‘Em will have his distinction as a pioneer.

Finishing Line: Stallion Series horses earn points for $40,000 championships in four prelim legs, scheduled closely to the Sire Stakes legs, and the fastest-ever Stallion Championship clocking has been “only” 1:52.1, shared by four horses: 3-year-old pacing colts Sectionline Blast (2010) and Take It Back Terry (2012), and their freshman counterparts Ezpass Hanover (2011) and Eddie Sweat last year.