Pocono: Captain Corey, In Range shine in PA Sire Stakes

Captain Corey and In Range are the clear leaders of the pack in the 2-year-old colt and gelding trot division in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program, and they solidified that status with facile victories in the two splits that occurred on Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Coming off track record performances at The Meadows and Harrah's Philadelphia, Captain Corey waltzed to a 1:55 victory in the opening $103,161 flight. Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt put him on the front from post five, and he got away with easy opening-half fractions of 28 4/5 and 59 2/5. Svanstedt let his charge begin to trot after the half, and he opened up to the 1:27 2/5 three-quarters, then poured it on in a 27 3/5 final kicker, widening to a 7 3/4 length margin of victory. Type A (Andrew McCarthy) was second, with Take All Comers (Dexter Dunn) third.

A $150,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy last year, Captain Corey is by Googoo Gaagaa and is owned by S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., and Midnight Sun Partners Inc. Captain Corey, who was bred by Carter Duer, has now won all three of his career starts, and he has earned $138,063. Captain Corey is the first foal out of the Angus Hall mare Luv U All, a half-sister to Deadliest Catch (Chocolatier, 1:53 2/5, $184,175 and Love U Overandover (Andover Hall, 1:55 2/5, $152,960). Captain Corey was the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.

In Range (Tim Tetrick) suffered his first career defeat last time out at The Meadows when he wound up first-over in a slow tempo, but he bounced right back to prevail in 1:55 1/5 in the other $103,561 test. Tetrick planted In Range right on the engine this time, and he trotted to the quarter in 27 3/5 and the half in 58 3/5. That soft second quarter left In Range with plenty left to resist a first-over try from Tart Tongue (Joe Bongiorno) to the 1:27 1/5 three-quarters, and In Range came home in 28 seconds to score by a length and three-quarters. Svanstedt trainees Fly Light (Svanstedt drove) and Johan Palema (Dunn) were second and third, respectively.

From the first crop of Bar Hopping and trained by Marcus Melander, In Range now sports a record of 4-1-0 from five appearances and has banked $178,853. A $185,000 yearling acquisition at the 2019 Standardbred Horse Sale, In Range was bred by Windsong Stable and is owned by Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Tomas Asell, and Rick Wahlstedt. In Range is out of the Windsong's Legacy mare Ilia (1:56, $46,020), which makes him a half-brother to Tight Lines (Yankee Glide, 1:51 2/5, $596,376) and a three-quarter brother to Long Tom (Muscle Hill, 1:52 1/5, $410,513). In Range was the 4-5 choice and returned $3.80 to win.