Three-year-olds took their turn in this year's Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships on Saturday afternoon at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, with Louprint, Miki And Minnie, Fashion Green and Highlandstarburst posting victories in their respective $300,000 races.
Louprint (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) won the marquee race of the day - the colt and gelding pace - in 1:48 4/5. Louprint and Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy) showed speed from the outside two posts, and after Louprint clicked off the quarter in 26 2/5, he yielded to Prince Hal Hanover. The Adios champion went on to reach the half in 54 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:21 4/5 as Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn) advanced first-over and Louprint sat in a loose pocket.
Prince Hal Hanover was game on the lead and managed to stave off Twisted Destiny around the final bend and through the stretch drive, but he couldn't do the same to Louprint, as the North America Cup winner came up the passing lane and emerged victorious by a neck over Prince Hal Hanover. Twisted Destiny was third, with those horses separated by just three-quarters of a length on the wire.
Ron Burke sent out Louprint, a colt by Sweet Lou, for co-owners/breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Phil Collura and their partner Larry Karr. Louprint is now a 14-time victor, to go with a pair of seconds and a third from 17 appearances, including a seven-for-seven mark this year, and he has put away $1,366,712. He returned $2.80 to win.
In the filly pace Rodeo Drive Deo (David Miller) cut fractions of 26 4/5, 55 and 1:22, but Miki And Minnie (Dunn) came first-over out of third before three-quarters, wore down Rodeo Drive Deo early in the lane and went on to win by two lengths in 1:49 4/5. Rodeo Drive Deo had to settle for second and Time Of The Season (Andy McCarthy) got third.
A Chris Ryder-trained Always B Miki homebred for Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz, Miki And Minnie has a summary of 16-5-1 from 22 starts, has earned $1,544,177 and paid $2.20 to win.
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The colt and gelding trot went to Fashion Green (Tim Tetrick), who was on top at the 27 4/5 quarter, 56 2/5 half and 1:24 1/5 three-quarters en route to a 3 1/2 length victory in 1:52 2/5. Meshuggah (Scott Zeron), last year's sire stakes champion for the group, was the runner-up from second-over and Big Shoes (Yannick Gingras) collected third.
Jim Campbell trains Fashion Green, a Greenshoe gelding bred by owner Fashion Farms LLC. He has nine wins from ten lifetime outings, has pocketed $397,013 and returned $6.40 to win.
Highlandstarburst (Gingras) worked her way to the top beyond the 27 3/5 quarter in the filly trot and then yielded to sit behind early leader Hangover (Dave Palone), who re-moved on the way to the 56 2/5 half. Hangover remained on top at three-quarters in 1:24 3/5, but Gingras had Highlandstarburst off the pylons on the final bend, and despite drifting out in the lane, she went by Hangover on her way to a 2 1/4 length triumph in 1:53 3/5. Hangover was next, followed by Ms Prada (Wrenn Jr.).
Bred by owner Highland Thoroughbred Farm, the Nancy Takter-trained Highlandstarburst now has a trio of victories to go with one second and three thirds from 13 lifetime tries. By Father Patrick, Highlandstarburst has banked $217,622 and paid $6 to win.
Winning the $50,000 consolation events on the undercard were:
--Pacing filly Westwinds (by Captaintreacherous and bred by David Willmot and Clay Horner, paid $4.60 to win) in 1:50 3/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley and owners Milt Leeman, Stambaugh Keith Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Wingfield Brothers LLC.;
--Trotting filly Divine Thing (by Greenshoe and bred by Crawford Farms, paid $4 to win) in 1:53 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Steve Carter and owners Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hopper and Kyle Gray;
--Trotting colt Elan Hanover (by Bar Hopping and bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, paid $ to win) in 1:54 2/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer/co-owner Jeff Cullipher and co-owner Pollack Racing LLC.;
--Pacing gelding Odds On Outlier (by Sweet Lou and bred by Odds On Nourrir, paid $2.10 to win ) in 1:49 2/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Melanie Wrenn and owner Odds On Racing.