Pocono: Pelling sends out power pair in Lynch Memorial

For Brett Pelling's pair of sophomore pacing fillies, it's been a rough year drawing post positions. The tandem of Sweet Gal and Rocket Deo has spent much of this season on the outside looking in. That factor will change dramatically this Saturday afternoon in the $250,000 James M. Lynch Memorial, part of a stellar Sun Stakes program at Pocono Downs.

Sweet Gal landed the rail with her stablemate Rocket Deo drawing by her side in post two in the field of eight.

"They've been good all year long," said Pelling of the pair of 3-year-olds fresh off Pennsylvania Sire Stakes wins on August 9 at The Meadows. "The difference is that they are finally drawing better."

Pelling was more than pleased with the Lynch draw but was far from taking a victory lap just yet against a stacked group of fillies that have at times this year had an edge over his pair.

"There's a lot of nice fillies out there," said Pelling. "Entering the year, I was hoping my fillies could crack the top 10. I thought this was the deepest division."

Despite the feeling of being on the outside looking in, Pelling had confidence in his pair and hasn't been disappointed in any of their collective races except one.

"Rocket Deo has put in only one bad race this year," said Pelling, referring to her eighth-place finish in the Jerry Silverman Memorial at the Meadowlands on July 13. "She tied up that night."

Since the loss Rocket Deo has bounced back with three straight victories, with her most recent score, a 1:49 1/5 effort, perhaps her most impressive as she defeated last year's Breeders Crown champion My Girl EJ for the second time this season in the process.

A daughter of champions Captaintreacherous and Rocklamation, Rocket Deo showed promise as a freshman with one victory in five starts but has seen her sophomore year move in a better direction with seven wins in nine tries.

A $310,000 yearling purchase, Rocket Deo looks to add to her 2024 bankroll of $177K in the Lynch.

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Sweet Gal is a well-bred filly by Sweet Lou that Pelling took over the training following a 2-year-old campaign in the Burke stable. The Burke's had an abundance of talented rookie pacing fillies in last year's crop, and three of those will be in Saturday's Lynch.

Sweet Gal went winless in five races as a freshman but was second on four occasions. This year, much like her stablemate, Sweet Gal has been post-compromised in major races. She drew post eight in the Tompkins and Silverman at the Meadowlands and then started from post nine in the Shady Daisy on Hambletonian Day. That Sweet Gal raced from behind in those races and got checks is testimony to her talent.

Luck appears to have finally turned to her side, and Sweet Gal has taken advantage of that. With an improved draw she was a sharp leaver in her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win that saw her establish a new personal-best 1:49 clocking in the process.

"She's just a beautiful filly," said Pelling of the full sister to Breeders Crown winner Ammo.

Posts didn't work out as well for trainer Ron Burke but don't expect his three fillies to take a back seat over the speed-favoring Pocono five-eighths-mile track surface. My Girl EJ has won four of her eight starts this year and was a solid second behind Rocket Deo in last week's Sire Stakes event, with Rocket Deo getting a soft second quarter to aid her front-end score. Driver Dexter Dunn has been red-hot since Hambletonian Day and should have no problem leaving the gate from post seven with the Sweet Lou-sired homebred that was victorious at Pocono in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event back in June.

Burke will also send out Pass Line (post five) and Canigetalouploup (post eight).

Yannick Gingras will stick with Caviart Belle (post six), as the Captaintreacherous-sired filly hopes to bounce back from a disappointing outing in the Shady Daisy where trainer Nancy Takter said her charge tied-up. A multiple stakes winner, Caviart Belle has won 10 of her 22 lifetime starts.

Odds On Platinum (post three) was dominant in capturing the $100,000 Courageous Lady at MGM Northfield Park on August 10 and has now captured four of her last five starts after going winless in her first five of 2024. A well-bred daughter of Bettor's Delight, Odds On Platinum picks up Todd McCarthy in the bike.

Rounding out the field of eight for the Lynch is Miki In Luv (post four) with Jason Bartlett in the sulky.

Pelling may have been excited about the draw for the Lynch, but he was far less enthusiastic about Allywag Hanover's draw and chances in the $100,000 Always B Miki invitational that closes out the 14-race Sun Stakes program. The three-time defending champion in the race landed post seven in a star-studded field.

"He had a tough draw in the McKee (Meadowlands, August 3), and the race didn't work out for him. He's not the kind of horse you can go first-over with through the last turn. That's not his trip," said Pelling of the effort.

Still, Allywag Hanover (post seven) has shown in the past that he can get his trip and get around the Pocono surface at a high level. Saturday's Always B Miki field may be a bigger challenge this year, especially with the speed horses inside. Ruthless Hanover (post five) owns a world record on the five-eighths mile track and regains George Napolitano Jr. in the bike for the Always B Miki. Graduate champion Voukefalas (post three) and Joe Gerrity Memorial winner Coaches Corner (post four), as well as Ken Hanover (post one), may once again stymie Allywag Hanover's chances at seeing the front-end.

First post is 2:30 p.m. for the Sun Stakes program that will also feature the $100,000 Sebastian K with Cashman Memorial champion Jiggy Jog S making her first start since posting a career-best 1:49 2/5 mile in the August 3 stakes at the Meadowlands.