The Meadows: Gingras strikes with Osterc, Goes Down Smooth in PA Sire Stakes

Yannick Gingras steered Osterc and Goes Down Smooth to victories in two of the three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes splits for 3-year-old male trotters on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows. Ginger Tree Skyr, driven by Dan Rawlings, won the other section at 26-1.

Osterc, coming off a win in the Dexter Cup last Saturday, took the lead away from Klutzy (Corey Callahan) passing the 28 4/5 opening quarter in the second $56,867 division, then kept control through a 57 3/5 half and a 1:26 2/5 three-quarters. Klutzy came back to the outside in the lane to take another shot, but Osterc was game, winning by a length in 1:55 1/5. Fashion Possessed (Jim Pantaleano) was third.

The defending sire stakes champion for the division, Osterc is a Cantab Hall colt trained by Per Engblom for owners/breeders Christina Takter and Goran Falk. This was Osterc's seventh win from nine attempts, and he has now earned $314,309. The 2-5 favorite, Osterc paid $2.80 to win.

In the final $56,867 flight, Goes Down Smooth fired through from the pole position for Gingras and clicked off easy opening-half panels of just 29 and 58 3/5. Chiplosive (Trond Smedshammer) took a shot at Goes Down Smooth from third in the backstretch, but his bid was repelled to the 1:26 3/5 three-quarters, around the far turn, and into the lane, where Goes Down Smooth opened up again to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:54 3/5. Chiplosive and Papi Hanover (Dan Rawlings) were second and third.

Goes Down Smooth is a gelded son of Muscle Hill trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., William Switala, James Martin, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Goes Down Smooth, who was winless in nine tries last year, is four-for-five in the win column this season, and he has banked $90,762 lifetime. He returned $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Back in the opening $57,267 section, Capt Chaps Hanover (Dave Palone), the 2-5 choice, wrestled the lead away from Whirl Winds K (Gingras) at the 28 2/5 first quarter, but Demon Onthe Hill (Brian Sears) then brushed around Capt Chaps Hanover and opened up a gap on the field to the 56 3/5 half and 1:25 1/5 three-quarters.

Demon Onthe Hill was still clear turning for home, but Ginger Tree Skyr (Rawlings), who had pulled two-wide from sixth at the half, tucked in briefly on the far turn after advancing into third, and then tipped out again, came with a rush through the lane that carried him to a 2 1/4 length triumph in 1:55. Capt Chaps Hanover was next, followed by Explosive Magic (Brian Zendt).

Sam Beegle trains Ginger Tree Skyr, an Explosive Matter colt, for owners Ginger Tree Ventures LLC. and Donald Marean. Ginger Tree Skyr, who won three times last year, won at first asking in 2019, and pushed his bankroll to $121,533. The longest shot on the board, Ginger Tree Skyr paid $55.00 to win.