Harrah's Philadelphia: Papi Grad, Blessed Hanover reign in PA Sire Stakes

The 2-year-old pacing filly Papi Grad remained undefeated after five career starts following a victory in one of two $89,112 divisions of the third prelim of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for her group on Thursday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia. Ironically, the winning time of 1:52 3/5 was the slowest of her victories, but she needed to dig down for a 26 1/5 last quarter to defeat a game Westwinds.

Brett Miller, top pilot at Philly this Thursday with three wins, reached the top early around Westwinds with the daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Betterthangraduate, and the pace-setter received no challenges through pedestrian fractions of 28, 57 4/5, and 1:26 2/5 – until Westwinds vacated the two-hole nearing the far turn. The price of pacing went up sharply as the two top babies battled each other, and Papi Grad (who had won her three previous Pennsylvania stakes starts by an aggregate 27 lengths) had enough to have a half-length margin at the end of the sprint home against Westwinds, who lost for the first time after three stakes victories, including a PaSS triumph.

Papi Grad, who had won the Hoosier at Indianapolis in addition to her three state-sired victories, is trained by Steve Carter for Brent Hopper, Jay Mossbarger, TKO Racing Stable LLC., and SCPStable&FriedlandRacing.

The other Sires section went to the Always B Miki-Bettor B Lucky filly Blessed Hanover, who swung wide off cover after fractions of 26 2/5, 55 1/5 and 1:23 1/5 to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Rodeo Drive Deo, who followed the inside drive throughout, in a new mark of 1:51 3/5. Both the first- and second-place horses are trained by Ron Burke; Blessed Hanover, now four-for-five lifetime, was guided by Dexter Dunn for Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and W.J. Donovan.

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The quickest clocking for rookie fillies, 1:51 2/5, was posted in one of the five $20,000 Stallion Series events by Gigglingonthebeach (dam Always Giggling), who gave Papi Rob Hanover an StS credit in addition to his PaSS winner. Gigglingonthebeach has now posted two successive sub-1:52 miles in the Stallion Series as she lowered her mark for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Juan Cano, and Hot Lead Farm, defeating the only previous double StS winner, Pilar Hanover.

One of these four things doesn't belong with the other – see if you can tell which one: a fast pacing female, Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr., and a $65.40 win mutuel. Actually, they were all in this story in an StS division, as the Captaintreacherous- Make Mine Mocha miss Lyons Benz broke her maiden in 1:52 for Threelyonsracing. Tetrick, the winningest driver at Philly, is also tied for the lead in producing "bombers" (horses paying $50+ to win).

A second winner for sire Captaintreacherous was Simply Perfect (dam Stacia Hanover), who became a two-time Stallion Series winner while taking a new mark, 1:52 3/5, for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna, and the ownership of Pryde Stables Inc., Steven and Michele Head, and Caviart Farms. The "A&A Connection" (Andrew & Alagna) opened the stakes day with a win with the Stay Hungry-Odds On Palm Beach baby Odds On Aces Full, who took a maiden mark of 1:53 2/5 for Odds On Racing.

Brett Miller added a Stallion Series division to his Sire Stakes win as he drove the Betting Line-She's A Fan filly Stevie Hanover to a second straight success, here lowering her lifetime quickest clocking to 1:53 3/5 for trainer Jamie Sullivan and owner Frank Chick.

On what is usually "Trottin' Thursday" at Philly, the Anders Bluestone gelding Rivers took the fast-class $14,000 event in a new mark of 1:53 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Shaun Callahan, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. And the Sweet Lou 3-year-old gelding Dream Bird smashed his mark by pacing in 1:49 3/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke, and Burke Racing Stable LLC., Knox Services Inc., David Wills, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.

Distaff pacers have the spotlight on Friday's 12:25 card, and then, on Sunday at 12:40, the 2-year-old trotting males will have their final preliminary action as they seek spots in their rich upcoming Sire Stakes and Stallion Series Championships.

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