Pocono: Allywag Hanover, Sandbetweenmytoes shine brightest in Tuesday PASS action

Allywag Hanover, a star of the "glamour division," the 3-year-old pacing colts, was victorious in his section of the third preliminary leg of his group's $191,159 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but his star was eclipsed on the day by Sandbetweenmytoes.

Sandbetweenmytoes, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding trained by Jim Campbell for Fashion Farms LLC, had by no means been keeping a low profile with a win and a second in his two previous Sires legs, but his method of winning today for driver Dexter Dunn was eye-catching. Coming first-over against pacesetting The Greek Freak, the only previous double winner in the sophomore colt grouping, Sandbetweenmytoes paced his own last half in 53-flat despite no cover, drawing off to a five-length victory while lowering his record to 1:49 and raising his lifetime earnings to $112,878.

The Captaintreacherous colt Allywag Hanover joined Sandbetweenmytoes and The Greek Freak as a double Sire Stakes winner with a 1:49 1/5 clocking. Showing gate speed not seen in the 2020 major races, Allywag Hanover controlled the tempo for driver Tim Tetrick and stepped home in 53 4/5 - and needed to, as two-mover No Lou Zing was coming at him late, but the victor held him off by a length while making his seasonal scorecard 6-4-1-1 and his lifetime earnings $189,903 for trainer Brett Pelling and the Allywag Stable.

In the other Sires cut, Cattlewash, a Somebeachsomewhere colt who earned over $300,000 at 2, produced his best mile of the current campaign while lowering his mark to 1:50 1/5. David Miller sent the Ron Burke trainee to the front, and they withstood a late charge from Barrage Hanover by 3/4 of a length for owner W J Donovan.

There were also five $20,000 cuts of the complementary Stallion Series action. The Western Ideal colt Seriously Hanover became the division's only three-time winner, with driver Scott Zeron getting a 26-second zoom move out of him down the back to take the lead entering the far turn and going on to a 1:51 1/5 win for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and owners Michael Cimaglio, Stephen Demeter, and Stephen Giagni.

Driver Andrew McCarthy triumphed twice in the Stallion Series, including with the fastest winner, JK Lucky Charms. The altered son of Sweet Lou lowered his mark to 1:50 4/5 in his first taste of 2020 stakes competition for trainer Brett Pelling and the ownership of 3 Brothers Stables and Pelling Racing LLC.

The Hambo-winning driver also tallied with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Revolt, who paced home uncovered in 54 2/5 to complete a 1:51 4/5 victory, his fourth win in his last five starts and his second StS triumph. Nik Drennan conditions the sophomore for the partnership of Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, and Drennan Stable LLC.

Another altered son of Somebeachsomewhere, Sunuma Beach, who like Revolt has won four out his last five including two Stallion Series contests, was victorious and produced a new mark of 1:51 2/5. Sunuma Beach came out of the pocket to catch Full Send, who was 29-1 despite being the fastest winner on the PA fair circuit this year (1:57 4/5), for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Arnie Chusid.

Also successful in the Stallion Series was Ruthless Hanover, the third Somebeachsomewhere gelding to win in this grouping. George Napolitano Jr. got a 54 last half first-over out of the sophomore from the Cancelliere Connection (Tom trains, John owns) and saw him lower his lifetime mark to 1:51 in a four-race career that now sports three consecutive victories.

-edited release (Pocono/PHHA)