from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Stirling Debutant, 1-for-25 in two seasons of racing entering the 2016 campaign, completed a clean sweep of the Bobby Weiss Trotting Series for distaffs on Tuesday (May 3) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking all four preliminary legs and then romping to a 1:57.3 victory over sloppy going in the $30,000 series championship to keep her seasonal record unblemished after those five starts.

Curtis Salonick photo

Stirling Debutant was a 1:57.3 winner in the Weiss final.

Stirling Debutant tucked third late on the first turn, then was moved uncovered by red-hot driver Anthony Napolitano before the half to gain on runaway leader Coherent, a maiden who had gaiting problems but showed no misbehavior and much speed while posting an astounding :27.1 opening quarter over the off track, then carrying on to the half in :56.4.

But reality in the form of the 1-9 favorite set in late on the backstretch as Stirling Debutant cleared to the lead well before the 1:26.2 three-quarters, coasting home to win by 12-1/2 lengths over Squeals Of Delight, with Amorous Flirt, Coherent, and Baba Daba Do picking up the other checks in that order.

The chalk players, who had wagered $5,165 of a $6,708 win pool and $6,139 of a $6,861 show pool on the favorite, had a few anxious moments after the race, as driver Marcus Miller made an objection against Anthony Napolitano and Stirling Debutant, claiming that they had caused his charge Grandma Jan’s Gems, who finished sixth, to go offstride around turn one. If the objection had been allowed, the maintenance department may not have had enough light bulbs for the increased demand from the toteboard (Squeals Of Delight was 39-1, Amorous Flirt was 41-1, Coherent was 40-1, and Baba Daba Do was 60-1), but after reviewing replays the judges let the finish under the wire stand as official.

A 4-year-old daughter of Credit Winner, Stirling Debutant had been trained by Christie Collins for owners J M F Racing LLC in the four prelims, but in the week before the final she was purchased by the combine of Randy Bendis, Thomas Pollack, Jack Piatt II, and R. Lewis Hauber, and transferred to the barn of former Downs training leader Steve Salerno. And whatever technique the old team found to turn around Stirling Debutant, it continued in the Weiss final for her new connections.

Finishing seventh and last in the Weiss final was 7-1 second choice Ready Any Time, who made a break before the first turn. Her driver was David Miller, and the incident was about the only false step put in by a Miller-driven horse on Tuesday. David entered the night with $199,964,811 in career driving earnings, and was looking to join his fellow Hall of Famers John Campbell ($295.9 million) and Ron Pierce ($215.3 million) as the only members of the $200 Million Drivers Club.

In his pre-Weiss drives, Miller posted a 7-3-3-1 tally, good for $29,320, putting him at $199,994,131, and if his filly could have lived up to the morning line (and the toteboard) and finish second in the $30,000 Weiss championship, the $7,500 check would have put Miller over his goal.

Instead, the break took out his best chance at reaching the magic $200 million number this night, and despite a second ($2,125) and a third ($1,020) in post-Weiss drives, he came up just shy. Miller’s nightly earnings were $32,465 (10-3-4-2) and his career tally is now at $199,997,276.

The native Buckeye will be taking his familiar purple and white colors to Harrah’s Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon, where the morning line projects him to earn more than $8,000 and thus reach the exclusive $200 million plateau.