The breeding business comes with no guarantees. Theoretically, breeding a mare with more than $1 million in career earnings to a stallion with even better credentials should produce a foal with the capacity to race in stakes events. Reality suggests often the results don't bear fruit. In the case of Bahama Momma, the 2-year-old filly by Tall Dark Stranger, the breeders have mixed the perfect cocktail with a chance at capturing two significant Sire Stakes final in the coming weeks. Bahama Momma will first take on the best fillies in Pennsylvania on Friday (September 5) in the $300,000 Sire Stakes championship at Harrah's Philadelphia, then tackle the best in Kentucky nine days later in the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final at The Red Mile. That Bahama Momma was able to quality for both is quite the accomplishment, regardless of how those races play out. "She wasn't an easy horse to break," said Bongiorno when asked about the talented filly that captured two straight Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races first before moving to The Red Mile for three Kentucky events. "She always showed speed, but we spent a lot of time teaching her how to race." The education process was critical given the tightness in the stakes races and the limits ownership had put on Bahama Momma's 2-year-old schedule. "Eric Cherry (co-owner) has a lot of horses and he doesn't believe in staking them to everything as 2-year-olds," said Bongiorno when asked about the filly's engagements later this year. "She's got these two races and that's it." The abbreviated 2-year-old schedule is by design and thus far those designs have worked out fabulously. While the outcome was far from a given before the filly reached the races, Bongiorno made certain that she gained experience and confidence in her prep for the big time. "When I baby raced her, I made sure to sit in behind other horses and keep her covered up," said Bongiorno of two qualifying races in June at Gaitway Farms where he sat on the pylons for much of the mile and only allowed Bahama Momma the freedom to finish her miles in sub-27 quarters and little else. The experience paid off for Bahama Momma and her connections in a big way as she debuted in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes company at The Meadows on July 5 and rallied home in 26 2/5 to capture her first race in a 1:51 4/5 mile. Scott Zeron was in the bike with Bongiorno making a commitment to the catch-driver for the rest of the campaign. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter A tougher trip in the second leg of the Sire Stakes at Pocono on July 20 was more indicative of the type of filly Bahama Momma was as she dug in and rallied past pace-setter Loua Dipa in the final yards of a 1:52 mile. With two wins in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes company, the filly had secured a spot in the final and was sent to Kentucky. Bahama Momma would taste defeat for the first time in her debut at The Red Mile, but perhaps it came from a horse she never saw sprinting by and through no fault of her own, losing by a half-length in a 1:50 3/5 mile on July 29. Like all good horses Bahama Momma learned from experience and Zeron had tested her from off-the-pace enough to have confidence to put her on the front-end in her next start, a 1:51 1/5 two-move victory that left little in doubt. A third leg of the Kentucky Championship Series saw Zeron take a more conservative approach from the outside draw and rally sharply for second behind Topville Lucky, a probable favorite for the final. "I think Scott wanted to leave out of there with her but a few others inside went forward so he just took back," said Bongiorno, commenting on Bahama Momma's last race. "I don't question Scottie. He's won a lot of big races. "Topville Lucky is a really nice filly," said Bongiorno, having watched the daughter of Sweet Lou capture Sunday's (August 31) fourth leg of the Championship Series in 1:50 2/5 at The Red Mile with speed to spare. Bahama Momma drew post two in Friday's rich final, and that should give driver Zeron a few options, though the eight-filly grouping has three from the Ron Burke stable. Kissedbyastranger (post one), I'm A Lou Lou (post four) and Loua Dipa (post six) are all in with chances. Loua Dipa bounced back from her defeat at the hooves of Bahama Momma with three consecutive wins, including a 1:50 3/5 career-best effort on August 15 in the final Sire Stakes preliminary leg at The Meadows. Bahama Momma's bloodlines are quite unique in that her dam Idyllic Beach and granddam Idyllic were both multiple stakes winners that banked over $1 million during their racing careers. The 2010 She's A Great Lady and Three Diamonds winner, Idyllic produced only one foal during her second career, with Idyllic Beach duplicating her dam's success in capturing the 2016 She's A Great Lady as well. Perhaps only limited staking will prevent Bahama Momma from those major 2-year-old Grand Circuit titles. Bongiorno is poised for another rich Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final this weekend, sending out Go Go Grasshopper in Saturday's $300,000 championship at The Meadows. It's a tall order for the son of Sweet Lou that's on the comeback trail after an injury sidelined him for a significant part of his sophomore season. "We're lucky that he's healthy right now and that despite not starting in a few legs of the Sire Stakes that he had the points to qualify for the final," said Bongiorno. Go Go Grasshopper qualified just once in advance of Saturday's final, and Bongiorno is hoping that will be enough to have him ready to tackle the sport's leading sophomore Louprint in Saturday's contest. "He qualified very well with the plugs still in," said Bongiorno. "He followed Twin B Joe Fresh and was strong finishing up." The qualifier, timed in 1:51 1/5, was the first appearance on the track for Go Go Grasshopper since a third-place finish behind Louprint in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes leg at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 25. Go Go Grasshopper made only one other start this year and that was an electrifying 1:50 score in a Sire Stakes division on May 3 at The Meadows. "He's probably one of the fastest horses I've ever driven," said Bongiorno of Go Go Grasshopper, who finished second in last year's Sire Stakes final. "I'm not sure off of just one qualifier how he'll be (Saturday) but hopefully we can have him good for the Breeders Crown," said Bongiorno.