Pocono: PA All Stars shine on Saturday afternoon

Three of the four favorites in their $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars series for 3-year-old trotting fillies were victorious Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but it was the non-chalk who produced the fastest time. Three of the four favorites in their $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars series for 2-year-old pacing fillies were not victorious, but it was the one winning favorite who posted the fastest time.

Among the sophomores, it was the Muscle Massive filly Miss McKee who was the speediest with a lifetime-best of 1:53, with George Napolitano Jr. keeping her on her toes to let no challenger get by early, in the middle, or late in the race. The sophomore is now four-for-five since trainer Jack Baggitt Jr. reintroduced her to trotting hopples, and the equipment switch looks to have worked wonders, to the pleasure of owner J L Sadowsky LLC.

Two of the three favored winners in the trotting stakes are trained by Ron Burke, and both are daughters of Muscle Hill. They are Sans Defaut, whose name means "flawless" in French, living up to her moniker while posting a 1:54 1/5 time for driver Joe Bongiorno and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Crawford Farms Racing, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby; and Dune Hill, who snapped home in 28 seconds to complete a 1:55 triumph for driver George Brennan and owner Joseph Di Scala Jr.

The other All-Stars trotting winner was the Explosive Matter miss Queen Of The Hill, who made an early move to the lead and went on to lower her mark to 1:54 4/5 while raising her earnings over $200,000 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Per Engblom, and owner Al Libfeld.

Among the baby pacing misses, the Captaintreacherous-Marinade Hanover distaff Marsala Hanover lived up to her backing, winning in 1:52 1/5 as one of three maiden winners. Jason Bartlett set sail with the Linda Toscano trainee, stepping home in 27 seconds to be uncatchable for the Enviro Stables LTD, South Mountain Stables, Little E LLC., and Westminster Road LLC.

The A Rocknroll Dance-Mikayla Rose filly Dancethenightaway insisted on the early lead in her division for driver Jim Morrill Jr. and then maintained her advantage to the wire, coming home in a back-half of 55 2/5 to complete a 1:52 2/5 triumph. Trainer Andrew Stafford is also a co-owner of the promising miss with Bonnie Benson, John Johannsen, and Holly Case.

Driver Victor Kirby had bad racing luck behind Lyons Softassilk in their event, but the Somebeachsomewhere-Bettor Than Silk filly showed her mettle in posting a 1:53 3/5 victory. Forced to tuck in early, Kirby was able to get back outside as the outer tier was the lively one on the turn, then swung wide and coaxed a solid rally from "Softassilk," whose connections, trainer Jim King Jr. and owner Threelyonsracing, also are the force behind last year's 2-year-old champion Lyons Sentinel (who won at The Meadows later in the afternoon).

The only previous winning freshman to triumph before this event was the Sweet Lou-Continual Velocity filly Continualou, who followed a Sire Stakes triumph in her last start with a victory here in 1:53, the best of her young career. Joe Bongiorno and Ron Burke again teamed up for a stakes victory with Continualou for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--