Harrah's Philadelphia: Elista Hanover scores again in PA Sire Stakes

Elista Hanover, a striking chestnut daughter of International Moni, recorded her sixth straight triumph when she won one of three divisions of a $144,799 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes second prelim for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia.

David Miller got the heavy favorite in gear late on the first turn and had her moving frontward past a 28 4/5 quarter to command in front of the stands. Middle splits of 57 1/5 and 1:25 were posted with "Elista" still in firm control, and when pocket-sitter Graceful Design made a big late charge, the winner still did not appear threatened in the 1:53 mile, although her margin shrunk to three parts of a length.

The 1:53 time was a new mark for Elista Hanover, who has now won her last four starts in stakes company: the Weiss Series final and a PA All-Stars division at Pocono, the first PaSS leg at The Meadows and now the second prelim here (the only Sire Stakes doubler). She is trained by Annie Stoebe, who is also co-owner with R. Lynn and Philomena Curry.

Miller also won another Sire Stakes division as he wound up with four stakes victories on the card, scoring with with Draw The Line, a daughter of Cantab Hall. She sat a pocket trip behind splits of 27 2/5, 57, and 1:25 1/5, backed over when favored She Shaq went by uncovered on the turn, and posted the largest winning margin of all of the day's stakes, 2 1/2 lengths, in a 1:54 1/5 victory for trainer Ron Burke and owner Brad Grant.

You won't find a much bigger difference in age between trainer (93) and driver (24), but Don Wiest and Braxten Boyd are certainly the right combination for the late-blooming Andover Hall filly Tuis Angel, who won her third straight while equaling her mark of 1:54 in the third PaSS cut.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Tuis Angel flew out of the gate and led for virtually all of the race, hanging up splits of 28 1/5, 57 4/5, and 1:25 2/5 before staying strong enough to defeat closing Emoji Hanover by a length. The nonagenarian trainer is also co-owner in this all-in-the-family filly (her dam Tui set a world record as a 4-year-old for Team Wiest) with his son David, Pamela Kimmel, and James Rappold.

David Miller also captured two of the five $20,000 divisions of Stallion Series action, including the fastest one, 1:54 2/5, with the International Moni filly Southern Moni, who took a new mark for trainer Blake MacIntosh, also owner with Hutt Racing Stable, Tim Klemencic, and Ozzie Mackay. Miller teamed with sire International Moni for another PaStS success with Drawing Rights, who lowered her mark a fifth to 1:55 2/5 for trainer Chris Ryder and owner Murray Ferguson Jr.

The only double winner in the first two Stallion Series prelims is the Father Patrick miss Dubai, who tailed lively cover on the far turn, missing an inside mixup, and went on to win in 1:56 4/5 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley and owner Frederick Hertrich III.

Father Patrick was also the sire of one of the two Stallion Series winners for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Lucas Wallin – The Moment, second in stakes in her first two starts of the year and here lowering her mark to 1:55 for owners Al Libfeld, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and Sam Goldband. Tetrick/Wallin also got a lifetime-best 1:55 2/5 out of the Bar Hopping filly Tequini Hanover, closing for the win for Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Wiesman Farms LLC. and Pieter Delis.

Racing resumes at Harrah's Philadelphia on "Trottin' Thursday," when a $15,000 winners-over handicap trot finds Asteroid, second to Jiggy Jog S in the Cutler in his 2024 debut, starting from the outside in a field of seven.

--press release (PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)--