Harrah's Philadelphia: Three-year-olds put on memorable performances in PA Sire Stakes finals

$1,400,000 in purses were offered on Sunday afternoon as Harrah's Philadelphia hosted the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for 3-year-olds, with four $300,000 finales for each gait/sex combination, and $50,000 consolations for each group as well.

PACING FILLIES

Miss Jum Jabber gave a performance for the ages in her Sires Championship, grinding first-over against 2025 national champion Loua Dipa, wearing that filly down, and then holding off 64-1 shot Say Goodnight, who won this Championship last year at 66-1, in 1:49 2/5.

Andrew McCarthy got the winning filly, sent off the 4-5 favorite, away in midpack as Darlin's Angel overcame post eight to make the top during a 26 3/5 opener, then ceded the lead to Loua Dipa (surprisingly 9-2) well before the 54 4/5 half. Miss Jum Jabber got the grinding lasso out late on turn two and inexorably grinded up to Loua Dipa to the 1:21 4/5 three quarters, with Say Goodnight right on Miss Jum Jabber's back.

Miss Jum Jabber and Loua Dipa began their competition back on May 1, when the former came from last to photo out the latter, and four months later they were still locked in battle, with McCarthy and his filly finally getting a discernable edge in mid-stretch. But Say Goodnight (who ironically was driven by McCarthy in last year's PaSS Championship; Tyler Buter had the mount this day) had a prime cover trip and narrowed in, but Miss Jum Jabber showed her grit by holding on by a neck; Loua Dipa settled for third, ahead of second choice Sangria Summer, who got forward position, then was shuffled out of major contention.

Brett Pelling trains Miss Jum Jabber, the only leading prelim point-earner to win among the sophomores Sunday, and Pelling Racing LLC. owns the earner of $336,139, now the winner of 11 of 13 after not racing at two.

Lyons I Wanna Chip, who won her Stallion Series Championship in 2025, upgraded her ticket nicely in the 2026 Sires consolation, lowering her mark to 1:50 4/5. Jason Bartlett went to the top with the daughter of Stay Hungry after the quarter, and there were no anxious moments after that for trainer Petter Engblom and Threelyonsracing.

PACING COLTS AND GELDINGS

It was a bit of a chess match near the front of the Championship of the "glamour division," and when the match was over, Melillo emerged the King of the division in 1:48 2/5, a new mark and only a fifth off the PaSS Championships' all-time record set by Seven Colors at Harrah's Philly in 2023.

Papi Rick bulleted from post eight to the lead; Melillo was looped and pressed on for Ronnie Wrenn Jr. to get the lead shortly past the 26 second quarter. Wrenn Jr. backed the tempo down sharply in front of the stands, and Yannick Gingras, sensing the developing situation, came from third with Al Papi, getting to the lead by a 55 second half and then pacing a blue streak down the backstretch to reach the three-quarter pole in 1:20 3/5 (yes, 25 3/5 down the back), with Melillo close and Sneaky Squeaky advancing some despite the rapid split.

Sneaky Squeaky (understandably) melted a bit in the drive to the wire (although still third), and it was a late showdown between the members of the Burke Brigade. Melillo went to the inside of the pace-setter and s-l-o-w-l-y worked his way past, the final margin three-quarters of a length. The victory made the favorite Melillo a millionaire ($1,033,274, to be exact) for Burke Racing Stable LLC., Jason Melillo, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

Toast Of The Town, an altered son of Sweet Lou who was ninth in his preliminary standings and thus just missed the big-money Championship, was in absolute charge in his consolation, coming home in 54 3/5 - 27 1/5 to complete his mile in 1:50 1/5.The Noel Daley trainee has won his last three starts for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Morrison Racing Stables, Jesmeral Stable, and Alberg Racing LLC.

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TROTTING FILLIES

Little Road, the Fordham Road filly bred, owned, and trained by Roger Hammer of Vivid Photo fame, dug down deeply to resist the stubborn fist-over bid of favored Carve to win her Championship event, giving driver Brady Brown "the biggest thrill of my career."

After winning her Sire Stakes consolation in 2025, Little Road handled the step-up with perfection. Brown had her away swiftly, racing three-wide to the eighth and two-wide to the 27.3 quarter to make the front, then got a bit of a breather to a 56 4/5 half. But then relaxing time was over for the rest of the mile as Carve, just a neck off in the Hambo Oaks, moved towards the middle of the backstretch and went up to pressure the leader to and past a 1:24 3/5 three quarters.

This duo battled each other fiercely through the stretch, with Little Road showing plenty of moxie to turn back the favorite by a neck; Shimmering Hanover, who sat a pocket trip, came up the inside for third.

The Greenshoe filly Nuance, coming off three straight seconds, made the breakthrough in her consolation, equaling the clocking she posted in a Meadowlands qualifier by stopping the timer in 1:52 2/5. Todd McCarthy was out almost to the three-eighths in a protracted early battle before going to the lead, but in the stretch none of her rivals could stay with Nuance, a $310,000 yearling, who succeeded for trainer Marcus Melander and Courant Inc.

One last note: last year, when Little Road won the 2025 consolation, second in that race was Nuance. So both fillies raised their games a notch on Sunday.

TROTTING COLTS AND GELDINGS

The Captain Corey gelding Geologic went to early command, yielded for the pocket, backed out behind the first-over horse around the far turn, and finished strongly to win in 1:52 1/5, equaling his mark and only a fifth off the track record.

There was no shortage of front-end action during challenging splits of 26 4/5, 54 2/5 and 1:22 4/5, with Fineline Hanover making an uncovered bid for the fourth lead change of the race. But there was one more change to come, with Geologic able to swing out from the pocket, first two-wide behind him then three-wide for the drive home to be the fresh horse to the wire. Paul Kelley is the trainer of the winner of four of his last six for Go For Glory Stable LLC., Matthew Lamont, Paul Kelley Racing Stable, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.

Captain Corey continued his fine season as a sire when his son Jim Beam, the heavy favorite who also was ninth in his preliminary point standings, went right down the road while taking a new mark of 1:52 1/5. Tim Tetrick and his colt did not have an anxious moment throughout the mile in winning for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Allen Wenc.

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