The Meadows: Warrawee Ubeaut fastest in PA Sire Stakes events

A trio of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies were on the docket on Monday afternoon at The Meadows, and Warrawee Ubeaut, Sweet Lucy Lou, and Tall Drink Hanover took the victories.

Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras) sat a pocket trip behind Treacherous Reign (Dexter Dunn) through panels of 26 1/5, 54 4/5, and 1:22 2/5 in the first $55,759 grouping, then went two-wide on the final turn. Treacherous Reign had no answer when Warrawee Ubeaut came to challenge in the lane, as the pocket-sitter blew right on by on her way to a three length win in 1:49 2/5. Treacherous Reign wound up second ahead of Trillions Hanover (David Miller).

Ron Burke trains Warrawee Ubeaut, a daughter of Sweet Lou, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. This was her 13th career victory, and she has now earned $945,053. She was the 1-2 favorite and paid $3.00 to win.

“All this year we’ve been working to make her a complete racehorse and not just go down the road and be hot,” said Burke. “You saw that today. She sits in, does what she’s told and then reacts. By the end of the year I still think she’s the best filly.”

Lynch and Mistletoe Shalee champion Stonebridge Soul (Tim Tetrick) stepped off fractions of 27, 56 3/5, and 1:24 2/5 in the next $55,759 test, with Sweet Lucy Lou (Eric Goodell) going first-over from fourth before three-quarters, then catching some cover when pocket-sitter Odds On St Lucie (Corey Callahan) went to the outside on the last turn. Rather than fan out three-wide turning for home, Goodell decided to split a gap between Stonebridge Soul and a passing lane-occupying Afraid Not Hanover (D. Miller) in the stretch, and that proved to be the correct choice as Sweet Lucy Lou got up to prevail by a neck in 1:51 4/5. Stonebridge Soul had to settle for second, with Odds On St Lucie third.

“The last three-eighths is her thing,” Goodell said. “That’s when she starts getting into gear. She paces as hard at the wire as she can. (Going between horses) was important because she runs in. I didn’t want to have to work her around horses because she might not have got by.”

A filly by Sweet Lou, Sweet Lucy Lou is trained by Robert Cleary for owner Royal Wire Products Inc. Winless in 12 attempts as a 2-year-old, Sweet Lucy Lou won for the sixth time in 2019, and she pushed her career bankroll to $130,034. Dispatched at 15-1, Sweet Lucy Lou returned $33.60 to win.

Tall Drink Hanover (Andy McCarthy) won her fourth consecutive race in the last $56,159 test. She was positioned fourth through a 26 2/5 opening quarter and a 55 3/5 half, but began a first-over bid just prior to the half that carried her into the lead prior to the 1:22 3/5 three-quarters. Tall Drink Hanover never had an anxious moment from there as she drew away around the final bend and through the stretch drive, reporting home with a 3 3/4 length decision in 1:50 1/5. Rockn Philly (Tetrick) was the runner-up and Pretty N Fast (D. Miller) came in third.

“I think she’ll be good from here on out,” said winning trainer Tony Alagna. “She actually was good early but didn’t have much go her way. She’s very versatile and can do it a lot of different ways.”

The victorious daughter of Captaintreacherous is owned by Alagna Racing LLC., Marvin Katz, and Riverview Racing LLC. Tall Drink Hanover made her 13th appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now pocketed $573,756. Sent off as the 1-9 choice, she paid $2.20 to win.

“Thirty-three fillies by Captaintreacherous sold the first day of the sale, and she was the next-to-last,” said Myron Bell from Riverview Racing LLC. “People who’d already bought fillies weren’t looking for her; we were. We were lucky enough to get a $100,000 filly for $35,000.”

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--