Pocono: Elista Hanover shines brightest in PA All-Stars divisions

Elista Hanover continued her rum as the horse to beat among the Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-old trotting fillies, winning for the fifth straight time in one of four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest in 1:54 3/5 over "sloppy" going Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Jeff Gregory reserved the daughter of International Moni off the early pace of 28 2/5 and 57 3/5, then asked her to get into high gear, and "Elista" complied quickly, challenging for command by the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters and taking over late on the far bend. The filly won by 2 3/4 lengths over the closer Fannie Lipkowitz, and Elista Hanover now has won a Weiss Series final, a Pennsylvania Sire Stake, and an All-Stars event in her last three trips to the gate for trainer Annie Stoebe, co-owner with R. Lynn and Philomena Curry.

Two of the All-Stars contests went to horses driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Ake Svanstedt. The Father Patrick miss Slip Sliding Away showed no ill effects from being away from the races for nearly seven months, getting stronger as she went nearer to her destination of the wire to win over Loveyoubunches in 1:55 for Marvin and Lynn Katz and Al Libfeld. Kakaley/Svanstedt also clicked with the Southwind Frank sophomore She Shaq, three-wide from late backstretch through most of the far turn and still winning by a neck over Cheval Rapide in 1:56 for Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC., and Matt Franklin.

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The other All-Stars winner was the richest of the successful stakes quartet, the Bar Hopping filly Sambuca Hanover, who went to the lead for driver George Napolitano Jr. in front of the stands and won handily over The Moment in 1:55 2/5 to raise her earnings to $303,500 for trainer Nifty Norman and owners David McDuffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman.

Pocono's leading driver, Matt Kakaley, had three winners, two of them as mentioned for Ake Svanstedt, and he was joined at that number by the leading driver at the other eastern Pennsylvania track, Tim Tetrick, as the top man at Harrah's Philly got two home first for trainer Noel Daley.

Pocono's 1 p.m. card on Tuesday is topped by a $16,000 pace for developing horses, and those wagering into the track's Hi-5 bet in the last race will find a carryover of over $2,800 waiting in the pool.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--