Odds-on favourite Keg Stand took the lead with a quarter-pole move and made it stand up, capturing his second straight stakes event in Wednesday’s (July 14) $156,320 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows. S I P took the other split in the event for freshman colt and gelding trotters, known as the Hickory Pride.
Global Pandemic, winner of both previous career starts, hustled to the point but yielded to Keg Stand, who entered the Hickory Pride off a Pennsylvania All-Stars triumph. The son of Bar Hopping and Palm Beach Bi kept to his task for Dexter Dunn, defeating Global Pandemic by a half length in a sharp 1:55.1. Parola Hanover finished third.
“He has a really good attitude, and he’s really happy all the time,” said Nancy Takter, who conditions the $30,000 yearling acquisition for Black Horse Racing, Christina Takter and John Fielding. “We were looking for a Bar Hopping — my dad (Jimmy Takter) trained him — and he was the one we felt looked the best. He was actually a little physically immature when we bought him, but he’s a beautiful horse now.”
She said Keg Stand would be pointed to either the Kentucky Sire Stakes or the Peter Haughton.
S I P made it look easy, forcing the challenging Kosher Mahoney to retreat to the pocket and defeating him by three lengths in 1:57, with Troycen third. Yannick Gingras drove the son of Bar Hopping and Barbara Brooks for trainer Ron Burke and the Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Brixton Medical Inc. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Gingras said he would have released Kosher Mahoney had his driver, Tim Tetrick, been determined to take the point.
“If he’d wanted to go, that was fine, but I wanted him to go a little faster,” Gingras said. “He was content with the two-hole, and I was happy with that, too. This colt is getting better with every start, and that’s good.”
$60,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series — Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings
Amour Deaner, Ginger Tree Brad and A One A each won a division in Wednesday’s sub-feature. Amour Deaner earned his victory in impressive fashion, inching away late despite being parked every step from post 8.
“He’s a funny horse,” said winning driver Anthony MacDonald. “He’s always been durable, so you just keep him at his work. Horses aren’t stupid. He knew the horse on the front was a little compromised, so once he wheeled up to his bridle, he wanted to keep going, and he did. He’s clearly a better colt than I am a driver.”
Tim Twaddle trains the Father Patrick-Midgard Supremacy gelding for Thestable Amour Deaner. Patrick Hanover was second, beaten 2-1/2 lengths, with 45-1 long shot Bar Coins third.
Aaron Merriman collected four wins on the 14-race card.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Thursday (July 15), when the 14-race program features a $16,637.47 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 12:45 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)