Pocono: Flawless Country maintains hot streak

Two $102,117 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes splits for 2-year-old trotting fillies were the marquee events on Monday afternoon's card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Gimme Shelter was well-rated on the lead by Brian Sears in the first division, cutting fractions of 28 1/5, 59 2/5, and 1:28 1/5. Race favorite Pub Crawl (Andy Miller) moved up first-over to challenge Gimme Shelter at three-quarters, but Gimme Shelter had something left off that easy tempo, and fended her and the rest off to the wire, winning in 1:57. Gold Stones (Matt Kakaley) rallied from fifth to second in the last quarter and was the runner-up, three-parts of a length behind the winner, and Above The Clouds (Corey Callahan) followed in the pocket and wound up third.

Mike Palone trains Gimme Shelter, a daughter of Father Patrick, for owners Lone Wolf Stable and Nicholas Catalano. Gimme Shelter, who was bred by Marsh Valley Standardbreds and taken home from the 2019 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for $75,000, has a record of 4-0-1 from six tries and has pocketed $83,473. Gimme Shelter is the second and final foal out of the late Muscle Hill mare Skara Brae ($6,900), a half-sister to the likes of Southwind Cocoa (Chocolatier, 1:55 2/5, $277,097). Gimme Shelter was the second choice and returned $4.80 to win.

In the other section Flawless Country (Ake Svanstedt) led to the 28 3/5 opening quarter but yielded to the brush of Insta Glam (Tim Tetrick) before the 57 second half. Insta Glam maintained control to the 1:25 2/5 three-quarters, but was challenged past that marker by a first-up You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory), with Svanstedt angling his charge three-wide coming off the final bend. Those fillies battled all the way to the wire, but Flawless Country pushed past just before the wire to score by a head in 1:54 1/5. You Ato Dream was a game second, and Insta Glam finished third.

This was Flawless Country's third consecutive stakes victory, joining triumphs in the Arden Downs and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows.

From the first crop of Southwind Frank, Flawless County is trained and co-owned by Svanstedt in partnership with Wolfgang A Stable Inc. and Borje Nasstrom. Flawless County, bred by Christian Stoltzfus, was a $100,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale and now has a trio of victories from five efforts to go with earnings of $136,996. Flawless Country is the third foal out of the Donato Hanover mare Aleah Hanover (1:59 4/5, $8,836), a half-sister to Cruzado Dela Noche (Muscle Massive, 1:53 3/5, $1,383,639). Flawless Country was the 3-2 favorite and paid $5.00 to win.