The Meadows: Filly pacers clash in Pennsylania Sire Stakes events

Pittstop Danika, Caviart Ally, and Glassine Hanover all picked up their first stakes wins of the season when they won the trio of $48,601 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies Saturday afternoon at The Meadows.

Tica Hanover (Aaron Merriman) led through fractions of 27, 55 3/5, and 1:23 in the first split, but Pittstop Danika (Mike Wilder), who was eighth and last at three-quarters, rallied with a 28 3/5 final panel to get up for a half-length victory in 1:52 4/5. Dr J's Kiss (Andrew McCarthy) was second and Gigi From Fiji (Corey Callahan) finished third.

“She raced vicious last week off the pace,” Wilder said, “so I wanted to wait as long as I could and see if she could have a good kick. That was the game plan going in — maybe not get shuffled to last. When I got her out, she just exploded.”

Ron Burke trains Pittstop Danika, a filly by Yankee Cruiser, for owners/breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and M1 Stable LLC. This was Pittstop Danika's sixth career victory, and she has now earned $107,252. Pittstop Danika was the longest shot on the board at 20-1 and paid $42.20 to win.

In the second flight Caviart Ally (McCarthy) was the leader at the 26 3/5 opening quarter, but then she let favored Inverse Hanover (Tony Hall) clear to the top. Inverse Hanover hit the half in 56 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:24 3/5, but couldn't hold on in the lane as Caviart Ally came back to the outside and paced around her on her way to a 1:53 2/5 score. Inverse Hanover had to settle for second, 1 3/4 lengths back, and Big City Betty (Callahan) came in third.

“That first quarter probably was a little faster than I would have liked,” said winning driver Andrew McCarthy. “I wasn’t really concerned because she was doing it easy enough. She’s a bigger track kind of horse. I had a little trouble getting her around the turns at Yonkers (third in the Lismore).”

Caviart Ally is a daughter of Bettor's Delight trained by Noel Daley for owner Caviart Farms. She is now a three-time winner in her life, and she boosted her bankroll to $176,822. Caviart Ally was the 5-1 third choice and returned $12.20 to win.

3-5 choice Glassine Hanover (Tyler Smith) led all the way in the finale, posting fractions of 27, 55 2/5, and 1:23 en route to a 1:52 3/5 victory. She just held off the first-over try of Black Jack Pat (Dave Palone) by a nose at the wire, with Gallic Sea (Hall) up for third.

“She was waiting on them a little bit,” said Smith, pinch-hitting for regular driver Trace Tetrick, who was banged up but not seriously injured in a race mishap Friday at Hoosier Park. “I kind of shut her down a little bit going into the last turn. Once she saw the other horse, she fought her off.”

The victorious Dragon Again filly is co-owneed by trained by Trent Stohler along with Benjamin Graber, Tim Graber, and Dolne Farm Services LLC. Glassine Hanover now sports a record of 7-2-2 from 13 attempts, and she has put away $222,624. Glassine Hanover paid $3.40 to win.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--