Pocono: Loua Dipa, Miss Jum Jabber don't disappoint in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes

Loua Dipa and Miss Jum Jabber, the two "big fillies," won as expected in Saturday's third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stake for sophomore pacing misses, worth $106,254 over two divisions, at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Both stopped the clock in 1:50 3/5, with supercharged back-half speed; both won by half a length, but looked to be more control than the margin may suggest.

Loua Dipa, the Sweet Lou filly who was #2 in the first Top Ten poll of the season after her championship freshman campaign and coming off a victory in the Fan Hanover final, was on the move off the first turn, made the top, and got a breather to the half. Her last splits of 54 - 26 2/5 left all in the field far behind save one - Darlin's Angel, who won her only other Sire Stake start but hadn't raced in 40 days. The pocket horse kept right with the star pace-setter all the way to the wire in an excellent performance, but driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. did not seem to wonder whether his filly would stay on.

Loua Dipa, winning in the PaSS for the first time in 2026, is conditioned by Ron Burke (we'll hear more about "The Two Ronnies" later) for the Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. partnership.

When we say that Loua Dipa had not won a 2026 Sire Stake before Saturday, this does not mean she hadn't entered one. She made her seasonal debut in a PaSS at Philly May 1 - as Miss Jum Jabber had her "coming-out party" that day by defeating the champion by a head.

A Bettor's Wish filly trained by Brett Pelling for his Pelling Racing LLC., Miss Jum Jabber did not race at two, lost her career bow (though coming her last quarter in 25 seconds), and has since gone on to win all eight of her starts, including the earlier photoing of Loua Dipa and Saturday's Pocono victory. Miss Jum Jabber does not show a "1" at the quarter in her program lines, and indeed driver Andrew McCarthy reserved her in fourth through the first half-mile.

A tug on the right line had "MJJ" out and bursting up towards the leader while pacing her own third split in 26 1/5, and she continued with a final quarter of 27 seconds (with head characteristically cocked a bit to the right) to overhaul a very stubborn pace-setter I'm A Lou Lou (trained by Burke). The two great fillies don't have their next possible Sire Stake meeting until August 27 (a week before the $300G Championship on September 6), but they may clash on the Grand Circuit before that.

We already mentioned "The Two Ronnies" as the combination of Wrenn Jr. and Burke (and not the beloved British comedy duo), and they came very close to sweeping the four $20,000 divisions of the complementary Stallion Series action, taking the first three cuts, including the fastest with the Papi Rob Hanover filly Real Fast in a lifetime-best 1:51 2/5. This division matched Real Fast and Tall Dark Tequila, the double winners in the Stallion Series to date, with the former setting the pace and then booming home in 55 2/5 to beat the latter for Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Knox Services Inc., and Slaughter Racing Stable LLC.

Another filly co-owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. (this one with Larry Karr and Phil Collura), Sandyboots Yankee, got into contention by going her own third quarter raw in 26 3/5, then pacing right away to lower her mark to 1:52 2/5 for The Two Ronnies; they also were the team behind 9-1 upsetter With The Fur, a Tall Dark Stranger filly who came from five lengths back at the half to reduce her mark to 1:54 for owner Howard Taylor.

"Team Ronnie" had the chalk in the final StS cut in looking for the four-bagger in those races, but their horse made an early break, leaving the door open for trainer Brett Pelling to get a victory in both sections of the PA-sired action with the Captaintreacherous filly Gracious. She won in a career-best 1:52 3/5, getting some late left-side taps from driver Brett Beckwith in gaining the triumph for Diamond Creek Racing.

Haltered for $23,000 after winning his third straight against claiming horses last time out, Goliath Hanover took a step-up to the $20,000 overnight fast-class pace and won with aplomb, sweeping wide off cover and pacing away to a new lifetime-best of 1:49 under the direction of Matt Kakaley. The victorious Betting Line gelding has won $29,500 during his four-race win skein, and his new account for owner P T Stable and trainer Darren Taneyhill already has $10,000 of that.

The horses in Pocono's fourth race wore a white ribbon in their manes to honor those horses who lost life in a fire at Saratoga Harness earlier this week.

Besides their stakes quadruple, Wrenn Jr./Burke (the latter top trainer at PcD) also won an overnight race to each visit Victory Lane five times. The Pelling/Beckwith win with Gracious was part of a double for both horsemen.

The highest-level claimers at Pocono will be spotlighted during the 5 p.m. (EDT) Sunday twilight card; 2-year-olds will also be making early pari-mutuel starts in other contests.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--