Pocono: Favorites rule in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships

Race favorites Bella Bellini, Jujubee, Grace Hill, and Lou's Pearlman won their respective $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for 3-year-olds on Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Hambletonian Oaks champion Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn) started from post nine in the filly trot, but she overcame both that draw and a tough trip to win in 1:53. Bella Bellini was able to tuck into fourth before the 27 1/5 opening quarter, but then ended up first-over past the 56 4/5 half when You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory) cleared to the point. You Ato Dream managed to keep Bella Bellini parked to the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters and around the last turn, but in the lane Bella Bellini had something left in reserve, getting up to prevail by three-parts of a length. You Ato Dream had to settle for second, and Lady Chaos (David Miller) was third.

"Post nine is never good, but it worked out," Dunn said after the race. "Actually, I followed You Ato Dream, and when she cleared I thought of trying to get my filly to the top, but when she didn't clear I hoped it hadn't taken too much out of her. She showed her class in the stretch."

A daughter of Bar Hopping trained by Nifty Norman, Bella Bellini was bred and is owned by David McDuffee. This was her eighth win from 20 career starts, she has now banked $514,448, and she paid $4.40 to win.

Jujubee (Andrew McCarthy), who hadn't made a pari-mutuel start since his 1:49 4/5 win in the Muscle Hill on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands, showed no rust in the colt and gelding trot, scoring in 1:51 4/5. Jujubee moved from third to first after the 26 2/5 quarter and would go on to hit the half in 55 1/5. Take All Comers (Brian Sears) took a shot first-over at Jujubee beyond the half, but Jujubee rebuffed him to the 1:23 1/5 three-quarters and on the last turn. Take All Comers was done for good before they turned for home, and Jujubee then widened through the drive, pulling away to tally by 4 1/4 lengths. Johan Palema (Yannick Gingras) got up for second, and Delayed Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) came in third.

Greg Wright Jr. trains the victorious Creatine colt. Jujubee, who is a homebred for Jon Erdner, has a record of 13-4-1 from 19 career tries, and he has now earned $300,107. Sent off at 4-5, he returned $3.80 to win.

"I didn't have this horse last year, and he wasn't staked to anything. But training him I could tell that his #1 quality was desire - there just was no end to him," remarked Wright Jr. "We had to supplement to these Sire Stakes, and he can be supplemented to the Breeders Crown, I believe, but after that we'll be looking for races for him."

Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy) stretched her stakes win streak to four with a 1:50 2/5 decision in the filly pace. Grace Hill led early after blasting out from post one, but she yielded briefly to Blue Diamond Eyes (Gingras) past that marker before she re-moved to the engine prior to the 54 1/5 half. After reaching three-quarters in 1:22 and successfully dealing with a first-over Mikala (George Brennan), Grace Hill came home in 28 2/5 to fend off Blue Diamond Eyes and a rallying Milieu Hanover (Dexter Dunn) by half a length.

Another Nifty Norman trainee, Grace Hill is an Always B Miki filly bred by White Birch Farm and owned by Tom Hill. Grace Hill made her ninth appearance in the winner's circle, has now pocketed $620,855, and paid $2.80 to win as the 2-5 favorite.

"Fillies sometimes hit a patch of good form, and that's the case with Grace Hill right now," stated Norman. "Also, notice that she has been drawing very well recently - that and her speed have combined to really help her work out top trips."

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In the colt and gelding pace, Lou's Pearlman (Gingras) grabbed command away from Hellabalou (Tim Tetrick) after the 26 2/5 quarter and maintained the top spot to the 54 3/5 half and the 1:22 1/5 three-quarters. Lou's Pearlman was under attack from a first-over Billy Clyde (Matt Kakaley) at three-quarters, but Lou's Pearlman was able to fight him off and then kicked away in the stretch to get the win by a length and three-quarters in 1:49 4/5. Billy Clyde did end up second, and Gamblin Mo (Tyler Buter) was the third-place finisher.

"This colt has been in good form lately, and he seems to be doing well on Lasix (on which he has won two straight)," noted Gingras.

Lou's Pearlman, a Sweet Lou colt, is trained by Ron Burke for owners/breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and Elizabeth Novak. Howard Taylor is also a co-owner of Lou's Pearlman, who is now a nine-time winner and has put $423,681 in the bank. He returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Not only was the Hambletonian Oaks champion a winner on the card, so was Hambletonian hero Captain Corey (Svanstedt), as the Googoo Gaagaa colt bred by Carter Duer won the $50,000 consolation event for colt and gelding trotters in 1:51 4/5 for owners S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc. Midnight Sun Partners Inc., and Ake Svanstedt Inc.

Somewhereinverona (George Napolitano Jr.) took the consolation for colt and gelding pacers in 1:50 4/5 for trainer Jessica Fallon and owners Petitpas Stables LTD, Ozzie Mackay, Blake Macintosh, and Gilles Landry. Somewhereinverona, a gray Somebeachsomewhere colt, was bred by Karen Carroll.

May Karp, a daughter of Cantab Hall, won the consolation for filly trotters in 1:54 with Tetrick at the lines for trainer Lucas Wallin and owner Shermay Stables. May Karp was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.

Beach Crazy, by Somebeachsomewhere, just held on by a nose after cutting the fractions to capture the consolation for pacing fillies in 1:51 3/5 for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Stacy Chiodo. Bred by Stephen Sexton, Beach Crazy is owned by Chiodo Racing LLC., Jeffrey Shore, and Robert Barr.

--quotes courtesy of the PHHA/Pocono--