The Meadows: Track record mile by Dreamonhigh in PaSS Championships

Dreamonhigh trotted the fastest mile ever at The Meadows by a 2-year-old and Tim Tetrick struck twice in the four $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for freshmen on Friday afternoon.

Driven by Joe Bongiorno, Dreamonhigh made a first-over move out of fourth going to the 56 4/5 half and surged past leader Baptism (Scott Zeron) to take command heading to the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters. From there, Dreamonhigh opened up a big advantage on her pursuers and went on to prevail by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:54. Mon Cheval (Dexter Dunn), the 2-5 favorite, was second after ending up two-wide throughout and stuck on dull cover after Dreamonhigh cleared, and Tie One On (Anthony MacDonald) got up for third after sitting on the cones and getting shuffled back.

That time knocked a fifth of a second off Sister Sledge's and Captain Corey's previous track record of 1:54 1/5.

"Sometimes from the inside here it's hard to get them off on the right foot," Bongiorno said. "I wasn't about to rush her. I know she's fast enough, and I think she prefers being off a helmet. So I gave her that chance today, and she proved to be real tough.

"She's always had the tools; it's a matter of keeping her mind right. She wants to get a little aggressive, but she did her job today."

A daughter of Andover Hall, Dreamonhigh is trained by Jenn Bongiorno for owner K A T Stables LLC. This was the filly's third win from seven starts, she has now earned $219,191, and she paid $12.20 to win as a 5-1 offering. Dreamonhigh, who was bred by Amos Lengacher, is the first foal out of the RC Royalty mare RC's Dream, a half-sister to Dreamsteeler (Cash Hall, 1:53 4/5, $527,632).

Next up were the pacing fillies, and Captain Cowgirl (Tetrick), racing as part of a 1-9 favored entry, surged from third to first beyond the 28 second opening quarter. Captain Cowgirl kept control to a 56 3/5 half and a 1:24 4/5 three-quarters, fending off a first-over try by St Nevis (Dunn in the process, then dug in gamely through the stretch to hold off a passing lane attack from Hit Me Up (Bongiorno) to win by a nostril in 1:52 2/5. Somesweetsomewhere (Scott Zeron) checked in third.

"It's special when you get to own a few. Luckily, they let me buy in on her," Tetrick said. "It was tight today, but I did think I held on to the wire. A step after the wire, he got me."

Jim King Jr. trains Captain Cowgirl, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, for owners Jo Ann Looney-King, Kenneth Frieder, and Tim Tetrick LLC. She has a record of 5-1-0 from six trips behind the gate, has banked $228,389, and returned $2.20 to win. Captain Cowgirl, bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Pinske Stables, was a $20,000 Standardbred Horse Sale buy and is out of the Western Hanover mare Rideintothesunset (1:54, $77,801), a half-sister to the likes of Strait At Ya (Artsplace, 1:52 1/5, $359,817).

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In the Championship for trotting colts and geldings, S I P (Yannick Gingras) stayed two-wide until he made front after the 28 second opening quarter, then yielded to Khal Drogo (David Miller) en route to the 56 3/5 half. Khal Drogo would be overtaken by a first-up Global Pandemic (Bongiorno) after the 1:26 three-quarters, and then Khal Drogo made a break, enabling S I P to keep his two-hole position.

Global Pandemic tried to hold on through the stretch drive, but he was worn down on the inside by S I P and on the outside by Parola Hanover (Corey Callahan), who was left first-over when Global Pandemic landed on the engine, and at the wire it would be S I P getting the nod by a neck in 1:55 2/5. Parola Hanover was a good second and Global Pandemic held third.

S I P is a Bar Hopping colt trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Hatfield Stables, Brixton Medical Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Hatfield Stables also bred S I P with Kentuckiana Farms LLC., and after being consigned to the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, he was acquired for $50,000. S I P now has four wins and a second from nine tries, and he pushed his bankroll to $258,932. He is the second foal out of the Cantab Hall mare Barbara Brooks (1:58 3/5, $34,350), and his second dam, Votum Deo, is a full sister to the exported Like A Prayer mare Godiva Hall (1:53 3/5, $808,230). The 2-5 favorite, S I P paid $2.80 to win.

"He finally drew better this week, and Yannick put him in a perfect spot that allowed him to get through late," said Burke.

The Championship for pacing colts and geldings saw JM's Finaltreasure (Gingras) blast to the front in a 26 4/5 opening quarter, but I Did It Myway (Todd McCarthy), who came into the race undefeated but started from the outside post nine, was able to get to the lead before the 54 4/5 half. Coming to that half-mile marker, True Blue Lindy (Tetrick) went on the attack first-over from fourth, and he was able to take away the top spot from I Did It Myway coming to the 1:23 1/5 three-quarters.

After True Blue Lindy became the new leader, that left Wearinmysixshooter (Dunn) first-over, and he would battle with True Blue Lindy around the final bend and through the stretch drive. True Blue Lindy dug in determinedly and fought him off, though, tallying by a neck in 1:52 1/5. Fourever Boy (Mike Wilder) was the third-place finisher.

A gelded son of Always B Miki, True Blue Lindy is co-owned by trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC. True Blue Lindy, who was campaigned by Carl Jamieson north of the border before a private purchase, has five victories and two seconds from seven starts, this victory pushed his earnings to $275,872, and he returned $4.60 to win as the favorite. Bred by Lindy Farms and a $25,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, True Blue Lindy is the fourth foal out of Think Pink, a Yankee Cruiser half-sister to Big Jim (1:49 1/5, $1,541,924).

"After watching all the video before we purchased him we thought he was that kind of a fighter," Cullipher said. "That's what makes a good horse. We look like we know what we're doing."

Four $50,000 consolation events were also held. Caviart Scout, a Caviart Farms homebred by Always B Miki, won the colt and gelding pace in 1:52 3/5 for Yannick Gingras and Nancy Takter; Andoverthewinnings, an Explosive Matter gelding bred and owned by Claude Gendreau Stb Inc., took the colt and gelding trot in 1:55 3/5 for Corey Callahan and John Butenschoen; Hood Party, a homebred daughter of Betting Line for Pinske Stables, captured the filly pace in 1:53 1/5 for David Miller and Nifty Norman, and Danznqueen Hanover, a daughter of Donato Hanover bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, bagged the filly trot in 1:57 1/5 for Dexter Dunn, co-owner/trainer Noel Daley, and his partners Caviart Farms, Lawrence Thomases, and La Express & Jaf Racing.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--