The Meadows: In Range leads Saturday's PA Sire Stakes winners

In Range, the runner-up in the Breeders Crown and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes finals a year ago, kicked off his sophomore campaign with a life's-best 1:52 3/5 victory in the second of three $50,169 PaSS events for sophomore trotting colts and geldings on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows. Whiskey Blu and Johan Palema were victorious in the other sections and also lowered their own lifetime marks.

Driver Tim Tetrick had In Range on the lead at the 28 1/5 opening quarter and the 57 2/5 half, but Jujubee (Tony Hall) attacked first-over out of fourth before the half and was able to clear to the point racing to the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters. Jujubee kept the top spot around the final turn and into the lane, but Tetrick tipped In Range to the outside, and he was able to out-kick Jujubee to tally by three-parts of a length. Lepanto (Ake Svanstedt) was the third-place finisher.

Marcus Melander trains In Range, a colt by Bar Hopping, for owners Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Tomas Asell, and Rick Wahlstedt. In Range has a record of 6-4-0 from 11 starts, and he pushed his earnings to $436,088. Sent off at 1-9, In Range paid $2.20 to win.

"That horse came at him very fast, and In Range is a very laid-back horse," Melander said. "Last year, he sometimes looked at butterflies, but he came back more mature this year. He has a lot of class, and he passed in the stretch pretty easy. We'll keep him in Pennsylvania until the Hambletonian."

Whiskey Blu (Dan Charlino), who didn't race as a rookie but picked up eight wins and two seconds in ten starts in overnight races and series action at The Meadows in 2021 coming into Saturday, took the first division in 1:53 4/5 on the front-end. Starting from post five, Whiskey Blu grabbed command before the 28 1/5 quarter, went on to the half in 57 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:25 4/5, and fought off pocket-sitter Capstone (Svanstedt) in the stretch to prevail by a neck. Mister Boinga (Tetrick) checked in third.

"I absolutely think he's competitive with these," Charlino said. "He hasn't run his best race yet. He likes the front, but I'm sure he'll sit in the pocket if they go along a little bit. He's come a long way, and we're very proud of him."

A Southwind Frank gelding, Whiskey Blu is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Kitefield Stable, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Whiskey Blu has now pocketed $76,047 and returned $4.00 to win as the even-money choice.

The final PaSS event saw Top Me Off (Andy Miller) front the group to the opening quarter, which went on the board in 27 4/5, but Take All Comers (David Miller), who broke stride briefly after the start, got back on-stride and then brushed from second to first prior to the 56 2/5 half. Take All Comers remained in charge at the 1:25 2/5 three-quarters, but a first-over Arnold N Dicky (Dexter Dunn) was able to forge his way by on the last turn, with Johan Palema (Svanstedt) sliding to the outside to sit second-over.

Arnold N Dicky led coming into the stretch, but Johan Palema was full of trot to his outside, and Johan Palema would go on to score by two lengths in 1:53 2/5. Arnold N Dicky wound up second, and Take All Comers faded to third.

"Last year he was on the front too often, and I think he got tired mentally," said Svanstedt. "I think we'll race him from behind this year."

Johan Palema, also trained by Svanstedt, is another Bar Hopping colt. Owned and bred by Bender Sweden Inc., Johan Palema, who was third in the PaSS Championship as a freshman, broke his maiden in his seventh attempt, and he has now banked $111,736. Dispatched at odds of 5-1, Johan Palema paid $12.00 to win.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association--