Pocono: Manon, Mon Cheval succeed in PA Sire Stakes

Manon is four-for-four this season, two of them in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, after she won the faster $67,991 division of the third preliminary for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Tim Tetrick handled the talented Bar Hopping filly cautiously early, letting the front-end sort itself out, then went to the top past previous PaSS winner Samosa before the 28 second quarter. Middle fractions of 56 4/5 and 1:25 3/5 left Manon with plenty left in the tank for the stretch, and she cruised home in 27 4/5 to wind up a length ahead of the game Samosa in the 1:53 2/5 mile.

Third in her only start at two, Manon has shown impressive development this year for trainer Lucas Wallin and the Harbor Racing Stable LLC.

Mon Cheval, second in both of the first two legs of the Sire Stakes and coming off a Pennsylvania All-Stars victory, posted her second straight win in the other Sires division. Taking the lead in front of the stands for driver Andrew McCarthy, the daughter of harness racing royalty - Father Patrick and Shake It Cerry - set the rest of the pace as she pleased, then dashed home in 27 3/5 to beat out Tie One On by three-quarters of a length in 1:54 2/5, a clocking matching her lifetime-best, set in her All-Stars race.

Mon Cheval is trained by Nancy Takter for Solveig's Racing Partners, another in a long string of success stories for that pairing.

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If you want to talk about the fastest 3-year-old trotting filly of Sunday at Pocono, you'd have to go to the fastest of four $20,000 divisions of the companion Stallion Series races, where the Southwind Frank speedster Baptism, winner of an All-Stars race in 1:52 2/5 in her last start, went a tick faster here to lower her mark and tie for the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--