The 3-year-old pacing filly Miki And Minnie, just named #1 in the North American Top Ten polls, didn't take long to show the talent that earned her that spot, winning the single division of the third preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Harrah's Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
Going for $109,440, the richest harness purse in eastern Pennsylvania so far this year (a mark which will stand for nine days), the daughter of Always B Miki drew the outside in a field of seven, and driver Dexter Dunn elected to get a seat with Miki And Minnie early as Asphalt took over from Lily White Hanover by the 27 1/5 first pole.
There was no movement as the field reached the half in 55 seconds, but then Time Of The Season came outside, with Rodeo Drive Deo (the only horse to beat Miki And Minnie this year) on her helmet, and Dunn's hand was forced. His filly was able to launch a giant third quarter uncovered charge to take the lead by the 1:22 2/5 station near the far turn, and from there the race was for place, as neither Dunn nor Miki And Minnie looked at all unruffled as they won by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:49 4/5. Rodeo Drive Deo finished strongly to edge Time Of The Season for second.
Miki And Minnie's scorecard is now 7-6-1-0-$348,222 for the year and 18-12-5-1-$1,182,308 lifetime for newly-minted Hall Of Fame trainer Chris Ryder and the partnership of Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo, and Lawrence Minowitz.
Possibilities for her upcoming schedule are the Lynch Memorial at Pocono a week from Saturday (where a long-awaited meeting with Chantilly, who faces older at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, could take place), a Sire Stakes prelim at The Meadows on August 29 if needed (a quick check post-race indicated that this win "locked" Miki And Minnie in for her Championship, but the PA Horse Racing Commission is the official scorekeeper) or desired, and her $300,000 PaSS Championship on September 6, the last two races at The Meadows.
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There were also three $20,000 Stallion Series divisions for the sophomore pacing fillies. Ballast and Fancy Like Louuuuu joined the absent Always Dawn as two time StS winners, with the Tall Dark Stranger miss Ballast providing the fastest clocking of the three divisions while lowering her mark to 1:50 3/5. Sweet Odds pushed Ballast to a 26 3/5 quarter, sat behind her through middle splits of 54 and 1:22 1/5, then tested her in the drive, but Ballast prevailed by a neck for trainer Travis Alexander and EVM Racing LLC.; the victory was the sixth of the day for Philly's leading driver Tim Tetrick.
The Sweet Lou distaff Fancy Like Louuuuu enjoyed a pocket trip behind splits of 26 4/5, 55 4/5, and 1:23 3/5, then gained command in the stretch to win by two lengths while lowering her record to 1:51 4/5, with closer Pilar Hanover photoing Beyonsay Yankee for second. Dexter Dunn added this Stallion Series success to his Sire Stakes score for trainer Sarah Andrews, co-owner with Sandbur Farms.
The Captaintreacherous filly Westwinds, off her game in her last couple, bounced back with a sharp front-stepping score, moving after a 26 3/5 opener to put down middle times of 55 and 1:22 3/5 en route to a 1 1/2 length win over Stevie Hanover in 1:51 2/5. Todd McCarthy drove the Noel Daley-trained sophomore, now a winner in half of her 14 lifetime starts, for Milt Leeman, Stambaugh Keith Stable, Joe Sbrocco, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
Trainer Scott Brockwell harnessed the first winner of his training career, sending out Lucky Weekend, who captured the last race while paying $42.60 – on a day when no other winner returned more than $8.60.
$216,216 of PA Sire Stakes / Stallion Series action for pacing fillies is featured for 2-year-olds at Philly on Friday – two divisions of Sire Stakes and four cuts of Stallion Series races – on a 12:25 p.m. (EDT) card.
--press release (PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)--