The Meadows: Two-year-old pacing fillies compete in PA Sire Stakes races

Lyons Sentinel battled the 1-5 favorite, Rocknificent, through a protracted duel and edged her by a nose in Saturday’s $187,040 Pennsylvania Sire Stake at The Meadows. The event for freshman filly pacers, known as the Sand Tart, was contested over three divisions, with Shouldabeenatd and Sweet Ace taking the other splits.

Rocknificent is a Captaintreacherous daughter out of Rocklamation, a Dan Patch Award winner as an older mare. On the strength of that impeccable pedigree and a win in her career debut, Rocknificent was bet down to 1-5. When she set sail after Lyons Sentinel from fourth, it looked as if she had the leader dead to rights.

But Lyons Sentinel dug in for Brian Sears and downed Rocknificent by a nose, breaking her maiden in 1:53, with Lainie Hanover third.

“She was real green on the front, didn’t want to go much, got real relaxed,” Sears said. “But when I asked her, she responded.”

Jim King Jr. trains the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Tulu Hanover for Geoffrey Lyons Mound.

Parked the opening quarter in 27 2/5 before yielding to the pocket, Shouldabeenatd had plenty in the tank late, defeating Speak To Siri by a head for Yannick Gingras in a stake-fastest 1:52 2/5. Dance Club earned show.

“I was just taking my time getting there that first quarter,” Gingras said. “I wanted to cut it, but I took the two hole, and it worked out.”

Ron Burke conditions the homebred daughter of Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

--press release (The Meadows)--