Berlin, MD – Week two of the Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary series for 3-year-old colts and geldings took center stage at Ocean Downs on Monday evening, and once again, the division leaders proved they were still the ones to beat. With trotting and pacing divisions contested in races one, three, and five, the night delivered another round of impressive performances and a few tightly contested finishes.
In a near mirror-image of his stakes- and track-record performance the week prior, Yall Keep Dreaming, the sensational son of Yall Beneath Me, returned to the track with absolute authority. Driven by Johnathan Ahle and trained by Richard Hans, the powerful colt trotted away from the field through fractions of :28.2, :56.4, and 1:25 before coasting home in 1:54.3, winning by 22 lengths—the exact same time as his record-setting mile last week. Once again, Roan Ridge and Swervingmervin followed distantly in second and third, respectively, as Yall Keep Dreaming solidified himself as the undisputed trotting standout of the series.
The first pacing division of the evening saw a change at the top, as Thomas K dug in late to score a well-earned victory in 1:56.2 over a game Don’t Say Maybe, who had led for much of the mile. With fractions of :28.1, :58.1, and 1:26.3, it came down to a final quarter sprint, and Jared Moyer, driving for trainer Ronald Short, guided the son of Rusty’s For Real to a last quarter of :29.2 to prevail by a tight margin. Playin For Real crossed the wire third in 1:57, continuing to show steady improvement in this competitive pacing division.
In the night’s final featured event, Brooksforreal returned to the track aiming to extend his win streak – and he did just that. The Ronald Short trainee, driven once again by Jared Moyer, fought off late pressure to win by a neck over Rusty’s Lancelot in 1:57.1, pushing his win streak to 15 straight. After leading through a half in :58.2 and three-quarters in 1:27.1, the Rusty’s For Real gelding showed toughness in the stretch to hold on in the final strides. MJ Copperfield rounded out the trifecta while last week’s pacing division winner, Hungry Cougar, was unable to fire late and settled for fifth.
The second preliminary leg of the Maryland Sire Stakes series offered further clarity on the standouts heading into the next phase. Yall Keep Dreaming, Thomas K, and Brooksforreal each delivered statement wins, with two of them defending their Week 1 victories and one staking a new claim to the top of the leaderboard.
The $95,000 finals will take place on Wednesday, July 16, at Ocean Downs.