The road to events like the North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace began for some on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows as the track played host to a pair of $84,644 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions for 3-year-old colt pacers. This Is The Plan (Dave Palone) would win the first split, stopping the clock in 1:53.  The winner of a Bluegrass division and the Metro Pace consolation last year, This Is Plan left the gate well and cleared Ideal Flip (Mike Wilder) at the 27 3/5 opening quarter.  This Is The Plan would then be challenged by Babes Dig Me (Brett Miller), and he would release that foe before the 56 4/5 half went on the board. Babes Dig Me battled with a first-over Closing Statement (Corey Callahan) to the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters and around the far turn, but once the field entered the stretch, Palone had room to send This Is The Plan up the passing lane.  This Is The Plan had pace to go with the space, getting back around Babes Dig Me and going on to win by a length.  Babes Dig Me did hold second, with Record Machine (Jim Pantaleano) brushing from sixth to third in the final quarter. “This early in the season, you want to get the job done, but you definitely don’t want to stress these horses,” Palone said. “So it couldn’t have worked out any better. When he found the passing lane, he exploded through.” A gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, This Is The Plan is co-owned by trainer Chris Ryder and his partner Robert Mondillo.  This Is The Plan now sports a record of 4-6-1 from 15 starts, and he has earned $222,971.  The 1-5 choice after winning his seasonal debut at the Meadowlands in 1:50 2/5, This Is The Plan paid $2.40 to win. While the first split went to the favorite, there was an upset in the other section as 11-1 Dorsoduro Hanover (Pantaleano) stormed to a 1:50 3/5 victory.  Starting from post two, Dorsoduro Hanover settled into the fourth position while Wes Delight (Callahan) and Pedro Hanover (Palone) battled to the 27 second opening quarter, with the latter clearing the former past that point.  Pedro Hanover was still the boss at the 55 2/5 half, but Pantaleano fired his charge to the outside at that point. Dorsoduro Hanover came quickly at the leader, getting side-by-side with Pedro Hanover at the 1:22 4/5 three-quarters, and then clearing him on the far turn.  Pantaleano angled his charge back to the inside, and nobody could reach him through the lane, as he won by a length and a half over Wes Delight, who found clearance between foes too late.  Captain Deo (Miller) loosely followed the winner's cover and took third. Ron Burke trains Dorsoduro Hanover, a colt by the late, great Somebeachsomewhere, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Silva Purnel And Libby, Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and Wingfield Five LLC.  Dorsoduro Hanover, whose biggest win as a rookie was a PA Sire Stakes division at The Meadows, won for the third time, and he has now banked $117,566.  He returned $24.00 to win. “He kind of reminds me of (2017 Little Brown Jug winner) Filibuster Hanover — under-achieved at two, gelded between two and three,” Burke said of the $100,000 yearling acquisition. “Since we gelded him last year, he really got better. When you look at his last lines from last year, he was really finding himself. That’s a top colt when he finds himself.” --quotes courtesy of The Meadows--