Wilkes-Barre, PA – At a track where he set world records for two-year-old and three-year-old trotting colts that still stand nine and eight years later, it seems appropriate that sons of Father Patrick would win four stakes events on a card where driver Tim Tetrick guided both $75,061 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winners, both sons of by Father Patrick.

Southwind Distilld (4) is an easy PA Sire Stakes winner at Pocono on Sunday night. Salonick photo.

In the one Sire Stakes section, “Team Oaks” (Fashion Schooner) of Tetrick and trainer Jim Campbell reunited behind Once In A Lifetime as the colt out of Sherry’s Lady took a new mark of 1:55.4. Crantini, the favorite after opening his career with three wins including two Sire Stakes, moved to the lead past a :28.4 quarter and put up midsplits of :58.1 and 1:27.2. Once In A Lifetime had begun a raw move in the middle of the backstretch, really turned up the heat on the far turn, and then was able to win by 1¼ lengths over Crantini, who had not raced in 24 days. The Sad Frog Stable should be much happier after the win of Once In A Lifetime, who in prior PaSS races had made a break and was second behind Crantini, beaten only three parts of a length.

The other Sires division also went in 1:55.4 and also yielded a new mark (the four Stallion Series cuts would also produce four lifetime records). Southwind Distilld (dam Dolce Delight), who like Once In A Lifetime had a break and a second to Crantini in previous Sires action, was in control of his mile by setting fractions of :28.3, :58.4, and 1:27.2, then powering off to a 4¼ length triumph over Spitfire Overseas. Per Engblom conditions the talented baby for owner Mark Dumain.

Father Patrick, Tetrick, and Engblom would also combine in one of the four $20,000 Stallion Series sections, with the colt Alonso (dam Prettiestgalaround) adding a second win in the Stallion Series prelims in 1:58 for the ownership of Engblom Stables LLC, Wiesman Farms LLC, and R A W Equine Inc. The fourth Father Patrick winner was the gelding Lookintogetlucky (dam Lookin Sharp), who broke his maiden in 1:58.3 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer John Butenschoen, and owners Andray Farm and James Crawford IV.

Once In A Lifetime (5) powers to the lead late in a PA Sired event Sunday at Pocono. Salonick photo.

The other two Stallion Series events were won “Thestable” horses driven by Anthony MacDonald and trained by Tim Twaddle; they tied at 1:57 for the fastest PaStS winner. The Bar Hopping – Twin B Alibi gelding Tailgate Buzz now is the only freshman trotting male to have three wins in the state stakes series with his victory for Thestable Tailgate Buzz. His barnmate Austral Hanover is undefeated in two StS starts, trying the Sire Stakes “in between” those wins; he’s an International Moni – Aspidistra Hanover gelding owned by Thestable Austral Hanover.

Pocono concludes its racing week with 1:30 p.m. cards on Monday and Tuesday; program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html. Monday will also be the day of drawing the races for the biggest card of the year at Pocono, the $2M Sun Stakes Saturday at the end of this week (the 20th), with major events for all classes of three-year-olds and an Invitational on each gait. There will be a feature story previewing these top events late tomorrow afternoon.