The Meadows: Phaetosive guts out a PASS win

Nearly scratched after tying up Monday, Phaetosive turned in a gritty first-over performance that carried her to victory in Tuesday’s $165,038 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows. The event for 3-year-old filly trotters, known as the Meadow Bright, was contested over two divisions, with Miss Jubilee Hill taking the other split.

Following her second-place finish in the Hambletonian Oaks, Phaetosive was recovering nicely. Trond Smedshammer, who trains and drives the daughter of Explosive Matter-Phaeton, reported over the weekend that she was training well. That all changed Monday morning.

“She tied up pretty bad,” Smedshammer said. “She was supposed to come here yesterday afternoon, but I decided to get her loosened up and turn her out in the paddock until midnight. We put her on the truck at 4 AM and shipped up.

“If she didn’t feel normal warming up, I planned to scratch her. She felt okay, but she wasn’t herself in the race. It’s a big relief right now. I think I aged two years in one day.”

Even at less than full strength, Phaetosive engaged Hey Blondie down the backside and finally lunged ahead of the game leader at the wire, defeating her by a neck in 1:54 over a “good” surface. The victory lifted her career bankroll north of $500,000 and propelled Phaetosive into the $252,000 PASS championship Sept. 2 at Pocono.

Even with a win Tuesday, Miss Jubilee Hill couldn’t reach the final; she hadn’t garnered a PASS point all season. But the daughter of Muscle Hill-Miss Majestic earned a fat check and a lot of respect when she followed the live cover of 2-5 favorite Seviyorum and blew by in the lane to score in 1:55 1/5 for Tim Tetrick and owner/trainer Mark Steacy. Megadolce rallied for second, 1/2 length back, while Seviyorum saved show.

“They said she’s a little goofy behind the gate, and she was — she seems claustrophobic and changes her gait,” Tetrick said. “But I got to follow good cover, and she cleared and held off the others.”

-edited release (Evan Pattak for The Meadows)