Pocono: McNair looking forward to Stay Hungry’s 2018 debut
It’s not often that we find the top 3-year-old pacers in North America debuting on the same night, at the same track and actually in the same race. On Saturday night in the final of three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions, a trio of last year’s top freshman will meet making their seasonal debuts in a $55,605 stakes event, race number 10 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Stay Hungry has been cast as the 5-2 opening line favorite and that’s largely due to the draw that sees him starting from post three inside last year’s Metro and Governor’s Cup champion Lost In Time (post 6) and outside Metro runner-up Hayden Hanover (post 1). Also making his first start as a sophomore is Nutcracker Sweet (post 8), the full brother to Bettor Sweet and half-brother to former star and first-year stallion Sweet Lou.
Doug McNair drives Stay Hungry in the contest and McNair is excited to get the season underway. “You look forward to having a top sophomore pacer to race,” said McNair. “I think he’s ready and I’m happy with the draw.”
For Stay Hungry, a winner six times in nine starts last year for trainer Tony Alagna, there were some great moments as a freshman and some you might like to forget. “I thought his mile in the Breeders Crown was the highlight,” said McNair. “He just wasn’t 100 percent in the Metro (finishing 5th to Lost In Time) but he raced well.”
The slate is wiped clean for this year and McNair ventured from his Ontario base to pilot Stay Hungry in a pair of qualifiers at The Meadowlands in late April and early May. “We went pretty fast in that first qualifier and Tony (Alagna) didn’t want to mix it up too much the second time,” said McNair, referring to the 1:50 4/5 mile the first time and a fourth-place finish behind his rival Lost In Time in the second qualifier.
While McNair likes his post, this Sire Stakes division could be most contentious with speedster Hayden Hanover (Andy Miller) making his debut after two solid qualifiers at The Meadowlands. Lost In Time moved into the Jimmy Takter stable late last year and captured the Governor’s Cup for his new conditioner. Takter had the son of A Rocknroll Dance sharp winning his second qualifier at The Meadowlands in 1:51 for driver Scott Zeron, who will be in the bike again on Saturday.
Nutcracker Sweet, by virtue of his 1:50 2/5 blowout qualifier last Saturday at The Meadowlands, is the fastest thus far in 2018 but he’ll have a tough time from post eight with Tim Tetrick.
Joining the others in this eight-horse grouping is Wes Delight, a division winner of the Reynolds last Saturday at Yonkers, who drew post five with Corey Callahan driving.
Pocono’s star-studded Saturday night 14-race program includes two $30,000 divisions of the Great Northeast Open series for older pacers. First post is 7:30 p.m.