The Meadows: Favorites defeated in three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes splits

It was a day of upsets in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition for rookie colt trotters Saturday afternoon at The Meadows as 13-1 Toast Of Lindy, 15-1 Fashionwoodchopper, and 20-1 Scirocco Rob all pulled surprises.

In the first $54,784 division it would be 1-2 favorite Maxus (Yannick Gingras), the fourth-place finisher in last Saturday's Peter Haughton Memorial, leading through fractions of 28 3/5, 58 2/5, and 1:27 3/5, but Toast Of Lindy (Andy Miller) moved to his inside from the two-hole in the stretch, and Toast Of Lindy would get up to win by half a length in 1:56 4/5. Maxus had to settle for second, with Crystal Fashion (David Miller) back in third.

“Last time I got him to the front, and he really fought good there,” Andy Miller said. “That really broke him loose. Then he got the nice two-hole trip today, and he was loaded when he got to the open stretch. He’s a pretty nice horse. He’ll make a little money, I think.”

A colt by Cantab Hall, Toast Of Lindy is trained by Julie Miller and is owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., Lindy Racing Stable, and Gty Stable. Toast Of Lindy, who has won twice from four starts and pushed his bankroll to $56,934, was also bred by Lindy Farms, and he would sell for $80,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Toast Of Lindy is the third foal out of the Credit Winner mare Bellini Lindy, a half-sister to the likes of Bacardi Lindy (S J's Photo, $207,326). Toast Of Lindy returned $29.60 to win.

Samo Different Day (Gingras), who won a Peter Haughton Memorial elimination and then was second in the final, was the 1-5 choice in the next $55,184 group, and he would take the lead from Farsetti Hanover (Dave Palone) beyond the 27 3/5 opening quarter. Samo Different Day would go on to reach the half in 57 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:27 1/5, but Fashionwoodchopper (David Miller), who wound up first-over out of seventh and last in the back-half of the mile, came past the public choice in deep stretch to prevail by three-parts of a length in 1:56 4/5. Max's Beast (A. Miller) checked in third.

“All year training down, I thought he was my best colt,” said trainer Jim Campbell. “He has the speed and a great attitude, so the first-over part didn’t bother me. But he’s very green and still learning. He went a helluva trip today, and it didn’t surprise me. He has a lot of ability but hasn’t been ready to go with it.”

Fashionwoodchopper is a Donato Hanover colt trained by Campbell for owner Fashion Farms LLC. Fashionwoodchopper, a $100,000 Standardbred Horse Sale acquisition, won for the first time in four career attempts, and he has now earned $37,118. Bred by Fair Winds Stable, Fashionwoodchopper is out of the Muscles Yankee mare Woodshopper, making him a full brother to Windowshopper ($144,514). Fashionwoodchopper paid $32.20 to win.

3-5 favorite Lawmaker (Anthony MacDonald), who came into the final $55,184 section with two straight Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victories, grabbed command on the way to the 57 1/5 half-mile marker, but Scirocco Rob (D. Miller), the early leader, came first-over out of third and overhauled Lawmaker at the 1:25 three-quarters. Lawmaker popped back out of the pocket turning for home and tried to get back around Scirocco Rob in the lane, but the longshot held on tenaciously to score by a neck in 1:55 2/5. Rose Run Tyrone (Matt Kakaley) trotted from sixth at three-quarters to third at the wire.

“I don’t know what got into him today,” Miller said. “Before, he’d been very quiet, kind of timid. Today he was charging at the gate and raced unbelievable. I would have sat in but I couldn’t even hold him in a hole.”

John Butenschoen trains Scirocco Rob, a gelded son of Explosive Matter, for owners Lewis Whitaker Jr. and Kathleen Whitaker. Scirocco Rob, who was taken out of the Standardbred Horse Sale for $20,000, broke his maiden in his fourth attempt, and he has now banked $41,858. Scirocco Rob is out of the Lindy Lane mare Fun At Parties, making him a half-brother to the likes of Decolletage (Cantab Hall, $163,954). He paid $42.80 to win.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--