The Meadows: Real Cool Sam remains undefeated after PA Sire Stakes victory

Real Cool Sam, the Peter Haughton Memorial champion, has now won all six of his attempts this season after a 1:54 4/5 victory in the third and final Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division for 2-year-old male trotters on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows. That clocking was a track record for a rookie gelding trotter and equaled the North American record for a 2-year-old trotting gelding on a five-eighths-mile track set by Amigo Volo just eight days ago at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Driven by David Miller in the $62,272 event, Real Cool Sam settled third to the 27 1/5 opening quarter, then moved to the top around Patriarch Hanover (Matt Kakaley) going to the 57 second half. Real Cool Sam would go on to click off three-quarters in 1:26, and he kept a game King Alphonso (Ake Svanstedt) at bay through the lane, winning by a length and a quarter. Hell Patrol (Mattias Melander) finished third.

A Muscle Hill gelding trained by Jim Campbell, Real Cool Sam is a homebred for Jules Siegel's Fashion Farms LLC. He has earned $248,134 to go with his perfect record, and he paid $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favorite. Real Cool Sam's dam is the Broadway Hall mare Cooler Schooner (1:51 3/5, $154,984), who is also a world champion by virtue of that mark that she took at Pocono.

“He looked very comfortable, and Dave said he raced very easily,” said Campbell. “I’m very blessed to be able to train a horse like Sam. If I were sure he’d make the PASS final without going to the fourth leg, I’m not sure I’d go there. There have been a lot of winners, though, so I have to look into that. I’m trying not to get too many starts into him this year.”

Rome Pays Off (Melander), who finished second to Real Cool Sam in the Peter Haughton Memorial, took the opening $61,872 flight in 1:55. He popped pocket to take command past the 28 2/5 first quarter, would hit the half in 58 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:26 2/5, and a 28 3/5 final kicker got him to the wire half a length to the good over a passing lane-rallying Big Oil (Andy Miller). Chestnut Hill (D. Miller), the race favorite, ended up with a first-over trip and had to settle for third.

“I felt in control all the time, but he’s still a little immature,” Melander said. “He really didn’t know what he was doing up front, so I had to keep him on the bit all the time. He feels like he has it all.”

Marcus Melander trains Rome Pays Off, a colt by Muscle Hill, for owner S R F Stable. Rome Pays Off, who was bred by Order By Stable and fetched $155,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, has a record of 2-2-0 from five trips behind the gate, and he has pocketed $128,817. Out of the Cantab Hall mare Order By Wish (1:56 3/5, $35,469), Rome Pays Off is a full brother to Marseille (1:51 4/5, $358,583). The 2-1 second choice, Rome Pays Off returned $6.00 to win.

Gangster Hanover (Svanstedt), who broke stride in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes leg at Harrah's Philadelphia on August 9, rebounded to win the second $61,872 section in 1:55 flat. He landed third and watched as stablemate EL Ideal (Dexter Dunn) led to the 27 1/5 opening quarter before releasing the earlier-mentioned Amigo Volo (D. Miller). Amigo Volo was able to back down the second quarter, getting to the half in 57 seconds, and then the tempo picked up again as Gangster Hanover went first-up on the way to the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters.

Amigo Volo and Gangster Hanover continued to duel side-by-side around the last turn and through the stretch drive, but Gangster Hanover put a neck in front late and held that advantage to the wire. Amigo Volo had to settle for second, and EL Ideal wound up third.

Svanstedt also trains and co-owns Gangster Hanover, a Father Patrick colt, with S R F Stable and breeder Brittany Farms LLC. He made his second appearance in the winner's circle from three efforts, and he has now put away $62,272. Gangster Hanover brought $275,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is out of the Yankee Glide mare Global Desire (1:57 1/5, $131,287), a full sister to Glidemaster (1:51 1/5, $1,968,023). Racing as part of an entry that was favored at 1-2, Gangster Hanover paid $3.00 to win.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--