The Meadows: Sister Sledge still undefeated

Sister Sledge did it all in Wednesday’s $180,502 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for freshman filly trotters at The Meadows. She extended her career unbeaten streak to six, completed a sweep of PASS preliminary legs, and triumphed in a stake-record 1:54 1/5. In the other division of the Delmonica Hanover, as the stake is known, 11-1 Shishito rallied from well back to spring the upset.

Throughout her streak, no rival had been closer than a length to Sister Sledge at the finish. That was the case Wednesday as well, as she forged to the lead from the rail for Yannick Gingras and defeated the first-over Sorella by 2 1/2 lengths, with Aperfectcrystal third.

“She has a crazy amount of speed; she hasn’t been tired yet,” Gingras said. “Today I actually was hoping a couple would leave and we could race her from behind. But nobody left, so she took things in hand.”

The time erased the stake record of 1:55 established by Can’t I in 2016. The daughter of Father Patrick-Behindclosedoors now has banked $138,563 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo, J&T Silva-Purnell&Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Sister Sledge figures to be the heavy favorite in the $250,000 PASS championship, which is set for Sept. 8 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Shishito was away sixth for Aaron Merriman and trailed by 7 1/2 lengths at the half before picking up live cover and beginning her advance. She edged Sans Defaut by a head in a career-best 1:55 1/5 while Sherry Lyns Lady earned show.

“She’s been good every race so far,” said Per Engblom, who conditions the daughter of Father Patrick-Yoga for Black Horse Racing and John Fielding. “I think she’s a very nice filly. She’s pretty much fully staked after this.”

Engblom noted that Shishito is dually eligible in Pennsylvania and Kentucky and appears to have earned a berth in each state’s sires stake championship.

--press release (The Meadows)--