Pocono: Papi Grad routs foes again in Pennsylvania All-Stars

In Papi Grad's two-race career, the freshman daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Betterthangraduate has won on both occasions in 1:51 1/5. On both occasions, she won by 10 1/4 lengths. And on both occasions, she thrilled fans seeing a potential superstar.

Papi Grad added her second success in one of three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Driver Brett Miller, a former regular here but making his first Pocono appearance since Breeders Crown Night 2018, reserved his filly in fourth as Sweet Odds yielded the lead to Ballast by the 27 4/5 quarter, then stayed in as the pace-setter reached the half at 56 1/5. Miller gave Papi Grad the word nearing the backstretch, and the filly went from four lengths back at the midpoint to a two length lead by the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters, then smoked home in 27 seconds under a good hold by the driver. More will be heard from this filly, who is trained by Steve Carter for Brent Hopper, Jay Mossbarger, TKO Racing Stable LLC, and SCPStable&FriedlandRacing.

Tim Tetrick has driven a passel of top-grade pacing females for trainer Jim King Jr., so when he chose off a King filly in another All-Stars division, the crowd noted the change and made the Brian Brown-trained, Tetrick-chosen Westwinds a heavy favorite. Their faith was justified, as the Captaintreacherous-Muskoka Moonlight miss kept her career record perfect in two starts, lowering her mark to 1:52 4/5. After early fractions of 28 and 57 3/5, Tetrick got Westwinds in good second-over position, pacing her own back-half in 54 2/5 while advancing to and past the 1:25 three-quarters to win by 1 1/4 lengths over pace-setter Daily Double Deo for the partnership of Stambaugh Leeman Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Alan Keith, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Captaintreacherous added a second sire credit in the other All-Stars section, as Lily White Hanover (dam Lillian Hanover) benefited from a clever Jason Bartlett drive to make her purse bow a winning one in 1:53 2/5. Lily White Hanover sat fourth through fractions of 27 1/5, 56 2/5 and 1:24 4/5, then, when the pocket horse faded on the far turn, Bartlett was able to dip her to the inside from second-over, and the Pocono Pike proved the route of success by a length over Gingertree Brenasu. Andrew Harris trains the $350,000 yearling, who completed an All-Stars sweep by the chalk horses, for himself and his primary owners William Pollock and Bruce Areman.

The racing week closes out with 1 p.m. cards Monday and Tuesday, with trotters featured the first day and pacers the second.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--