stakes Recaps

Always Ana Hanover overwhelmed the leader, even money favorite Pilar Hanover, with a powerful, uncovered backside move and rolled home in a stake-record 1:51.1 in Thursday’s Keystone Classic at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows. Royally Hot sprang a 12-1 upset in the other division of the stake for freshman filly pacers.

Always Ana Hanover was fourth when Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. sent her after Pilar Hanover, who offered resistance but succumbed in the stretch. The rallying Earth Angel was second, 1/2 length back, while 56-1 bomb Lyons Anitasangel earned show. The time is a career best for Always Ana Hanover and erased the previous stake mark of 1:51.3 Caviart Cherie established in 2016.

“They went pretty good to the half, but it’s always tough to come first over here and last,” Wrenn said. “That was probably her best race of the year.”

Ron Burke trains the daughter of Always B Miki-Ana Hanover for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Switala and James Martin.

Royally Hot had won just once — and that in an overnight — but trainer Jim King, Jr. considered the Keystone Classic a good spot for her.

“She’s been competitive right along,” King said. “She’s a little healthier right now than she’s been. She hasn’t really had her feelings hurt all year, which makes a difference at the end of the year.”

Owner/breeder/driver Tim Tetrick moved the daughter of Bettor’s Wish-McSauna from third past the three-quarters. She zipped by the leader, 1-9 favorite Beach Rules, and scored in 1:51.4, a new life mark. Blessed Hanover was second, beaten 1-3/4 lengths, while Lyons Benz completed the ticket at 61-1.

Pressure Cooker cooked the field with a :27.3 final panel and drew off to score in Friday’s (Sept. 15) $78,720 Keystone Classic at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Chiapanecas shot the Lightning Lane to capture the other division in the event for freshman filly pacers, giving Dave Palone a stake sweep.

Pressure Cooker wasted no time taking the lead from post three, but it was in that closing quarter that she showed her superiority. The daughter of Heston Blue Chip-Better Be Steamin left Canigetalouploup 3-1/4 lengths in her wake, with Monsoon third. The winning time was 1:52.4.

“You’ll remember her brother from the sires stakes — Fulton,‘” Palone said. “She reminds you a lot of him — good gaited, great attitude and a good set of lungs.”

Linda Toscano trains Pressure Cooker for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.

Palone indicated he was thinking Lightning Lane with Chiapanecas, the 1-5 favorite, pretty much from the start.

“I really wanted to take care of this filly because I know she has bigger dances later in the season,” Palone said. “At the same time, you want to get the money. She was well within herself with the plugs in. It ended up being the best-case scenario.”

The daughter of Stay Hungry-Maniana executed the game plan perfectly, brushing past Lou Lou to down her by a length in a career-best 1:53. Early leader Ginger Tree Belle completed the ticket. Ron Burke trains the winner for breeder/owner William Donovan.

Sept. 29, 2022  — Ginger Tree Coco clicked off the back half in a snappy 55.4 en route to a stake-fastest victory in a career-best 1:52.3 over a “good” surface in Thursday’s $81,499 Keystone Classic at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Hello Yes Hi and Butterfingers captured the other divisions in the event for 2-year-old filly pacers. Aaron Merriman enjoyed a stake double behind Ginger Tree Coco and Butterfingers.

Ginger Tree Coco had to battle three wide for the early lead, but after Merriman gave her a 29.1 second-panel breather, she drew off late to down the pocket-sitting Little Lady J by 4-3/4 lengths, with Tallchief Hanover third.

 “She’s probably better hunting, but she just seemed so good I put her on the lead,” Merriman said. “I thought she was the best horse, and I raced her like it.”

Sam Beegle trains the daughter of Stay Hungry-Zellweger Bluechip and owns with Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable and Robert Reber, Jr.

Hello Yes Hi grabbed the lead past the quarter for Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. but found herself challenged inside and outside in mid-stretch. The homebred daughter of Captaintreacherous-Camille found another gear and held off Calliope Hanover by a neck in 1:53.1. Square Deal completed the ticket.

“I drove her once before, and she won from the 8 hole in a sires stake,” Wrenn said. “She beat some good horses that day, so I wasn’t really concerned late. She’s not a real big filly, but she’s real game.”

Ron Burke conditions Hello Yes Hi, who now has banked $119,177, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable and Jack Piatt II.

 Butterfingers moved first up, cleared near the three-quarters and scored in 1:54.1 for owner/trainer Mike Hall. Romantic Evening was second, beaten a length, while Extreme Z Tam rallied for show.

“I was happy they were going so slow up front because my horse has a quick turn of foot,” Merriman said of the daughter of Sweet Lou-Drop The Ball. “It worked out just like I thought it would.”

In Thursday’s $19,300 Open Handicap Trot, Tequila Talkin notched his 11th win this year when he overtook Refi past the three-quarters and downed him by 3/4 lengths 1:54.2. Mike Wilder drove the 7-year-old Cantab Hall-Margarita Nights gelding, who lifted his lifetime earnings to $313,663, for Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.

$66,900 Keystone Classic — 2-Year-Old Filly Pace

Entering the day, Lyons Serenity had won five of six starts lifetime — including the PA Stallion Series championship — while Somesweetsomewhere was winless in five outings. Their careers seemed to be heading in different directions, yet each captured a division of Tuesday’s co-feature.

Lyons Serenity triumphed as easily as expected, quarter-poling to the top for Tim Tetrick and scoring in 1:52.4.  Yes And Yes was second, 1-1/4 lengths back, with Aintthesamewithoutu third.

Jim King, Jr., who conditions the daughter of Sweet Lou Southwind Serenity for Threelyonsracing, indicated he doesn’t regret keeping Lyons Serenity in the stallion series rather than the richer sires stakes but may look to move her up.

“I think it’s been a lot better for her,” King said. “We haven’t stretched her out, although she’s had to race pretty much on the front end all the time. She gets on the front and waits on horses, then takes off again. She’s eligible to a couple big races, including the Breeders Crown. That’s a large step, and it’s yet to be seen whether she can go with them.”

Somesweetsomewhere’s 0-5 record was somewhat deceptive, as she was competitive in sires stakes and finished a closing third in the $253,000 final.  But she again was facing Pennsylvania’s champion, Captain Cowgirl, who was sent off at 1-9. Even winning driver Corey Callahan thought he would grab the early lead, then chase Captain Cowgirl around the track.

That all changed when Captain Cowgirl made an early break, the first such miscue of her career.

“My intention was to follow the 1-9 shot around,” Callahan said. “When I went by the board going to the half, I was looking for her. I’m like, ‘Where’s she at?’ So I kept coasting and figured we were good from there. I felt pretty confident in her.”

Somesweetsomewhere prevailed in 1:53.4, 1-1/4 lengths better than Galleria Hanover. No Foolin completed the ticket. Linda Toscano trains the winner for Purple Haze Stables and Conrad Zurich.

Sept. 15, 2020 — Fighting Evil launched the decisive move past the three-quarters and rolled home in a career-best 1:52.2 in Tuesday’s Keystone Classic at The Meadows. Darby Hanover took the other split in the $79,900 stake for freshman filly pacers.

Sniper Hanover opened up a sizable lead after three-quarters but was no match for the rally of Fighting Evil, who overwhelmed her in the lane and held off Peep N Weep by a head for Mike Wilder. Ocean’s Apart completed the ticket.

“This filly just loves to chase,” said Dane Snyder, who trains the daughter of Sweet Lou-Evil Fight — a $12,000 yearling acquisition — for Danielle Snyder and Jason Ash. “She’s not very big herself, but she has a big heart.  She has one more race this year — the Standardbred at Delaware. She’s little, and she needs some rest.”

Although Darby Hanover was forced to a 27.4 opening panel to reach the point, she had little trouble thereafter, cruising home for Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller in 1:53.1. Natchez Belle was second, beaten 2-1/2 lengths, with Lady Newton third.

“When she came back to me at the half, she relaxed, so I felt all right from there on,” Andy Miller said. “She’s putting together a pretty nice year, and she has a few more races to go. She’ll probably go to the Liberty Bell next. We might try a big race later in the year.”

The daughter of Betting Line-Darena Hanover has finished in the money in all seven career starts for owners Andy Miller Stable and Carroll Huffman.

$92,499 Keystone Classic — 2-Year-Old Filly Pacers

Speaking of first stakes victories, Drama Act and Ginger Tree Carey collected theirs in Saturday’s co-feature. The other division went to Ashtini.

Injury and illness had limited Drama Act to a pair of overnight events — both victories.

“She had an abscess in her foot that caused some time off,” said Krista Harmon, who conditions the homebred daughter of Well Said-Lounge Act for The OK Corral. “Then, when she was ready to qualify, she got sick a couple times. What’s her upside? I’m not sure we’ve hit bottom with her yet.”

The team’s patience paid off Saturday, as Drama Act overcame a parked-out 26.4 opening panel and triumphed for Jason Merriman in 1:52.2, 3-3/4 lengths better than Alexa Skye. Dance Club earned show.

Trainer Sam Beegle has selected Ginger Tree Carey’s stakes engagements judiciously because of her diminutive stature.

“She’s only the size of a deer, and she’s a June foal,” Beegle said. “She had a little issue back in May, and we didn’t rush her. She’s done everything we asked her to do. She still has the Simpson and the Liberty Bell, and she has everything next year.”

The daughter of Sweet Lou-Ideal Weather showed a big heart in overtaking the leader, The Party’s Rockin, late and defeating her by 1/2 length in 1:53.1 Speaking Of Coffee finished third.

Ginger Tree Ventures, Henlopen Stable, Neil Chesen and Beegle campaign Ginger Tree Carey.