Pocono: Rodeo Drive Deo, Papi Grad prevail in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes

Rodeo Drive Deo reversed the Fan Hanover final order of finish over freshman champion Miki And Minnie - the major news on an outstanding card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon - as 3-year-old pacing fillies gathered to contest $232,240 in the second preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series action.

In the main event, Miki And Minnie got away fourth in a field of seven, with Rodeo Drive Deo right behind her, as Cant See Me made the lead around Who Are You at the 27 1/5 opener, with Stevie Hanover settling third. The pace was backed off to 56 3/5 at the half, at which point Stevie Hanover came out uncovered, with Miki And Minnie and Rodeo Drive Deo second- and third-over, respectively.

As the field reached the three-quarters in 1:23 2/5, Dexter Dunn tipped "Miki" three-wide and quickly circled to two-wide raw; "Rodeo Drive" and David Miller followed her in the three-path, then continued out wide building momentum. Miki And Minnie made the lead in early stretch, but the Captaintreacherous miss Rodeo Drive Deo had dead-aim, and she had a bit quicker of a last sixteenth to take the head victory in 1:51.

Rodeo Drive Deo scored her third win of the year, and Miki And Minnie (despite pacing her last half in 53 3/5) tasted her first defeat after opening with three straight victories. Ron Burke conditions Rodeo Drive Deo, who boosted her earnings to $521,459, for Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Beasty LLC., and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. (An oddity: the winner paid $7.60 for a $2 win bet, but the $2 exacta with the favorite underneath returned only $7.40.)

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

The winners in the PaSS first leg, Asphalt and Good As You, were both in the second Sires division Saturday, but they had to settle for second and third, respectively, behind Papi Grad, a Papi Rob Hanover filly who reported home first nicely for driver Todd McCarthy in a career-best 1:50.

Papi Grad, second to Asphalt in her seasonal bow, was second choice at even money to that one's 4-5, and after yielding the early lead (26 4/5), the winner regained past the chalk to a 54 4/5 half, with Good As You coming up first-over. The last-named gained but could not sustain past a 1:22 2/5 three-quarters, and Papi Grad still had enough to defeat Asphalt by 1 1/2 lengths.

Papi Grad, now seven-for-12 lifetime with a bankroll of $325,267, is trained by Steve Carter for Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hooper, TKO Racing Stable LLC., and Scpstable&Friedlandracing.

The Always B Miki filly Always Dawn became the only Stallion Series double winner when she captured her division of the StS in a lifetime mark of 1:51. Matron stake winner Faze was favored in her seasonal debut and indeed had her chance up the Pocono Pike, but Always Dawn, uncovered from mid-backstretch, kept on grinding and out-photoed the chalk by a head for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Anthony Beaton (now with two Stallion Series wins with the filly since she came into his barn), and owner Leo Fleming.

Both Andrew McCarthy and his brother Todd won two Stallion Series divisions (Todd of course also winning in the Sire Stakes), and each brother had a 1:50 4/5 StS winner, fastest clocking in this segment. Andrew's came with a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover (who also had a PaSS credit), Gigglingonthebeach, who, despite not having raced in 40 days, took a new speed badge for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm.

Todd's 1:50 4/5 also established a lifetime-best for Au Jus Hanover, a daughter of Stay Hungry who made her first start for trainer Andrew Harris a winning one; she is owned by Casie Coleman, Dumain Haven Farm LLC., Mac Nichol and Kevin McKinlay. Todd also won with a daughter of Captaintreacherous (who sired the other PaSS winner), Simply Perfect, who is trained by Tony Alagna for the team of Pryde Stable Inc. Steven and Michele Head and Caviart Farms; this one went her fastest winning race mile of 1:51 4/5, although she did qualify in 1:51 2/5 at two.

If your last name wasn't McCarthy, the way to the Stallion Series winner's circle was with a longshot. The Tall Dark Stranger filly Ballast returned $62.60 after lowering her best to 1:51 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and EVM Racing LLC.; Beyonsay Yankee, driven by David Miller, hit all the right notes in paying $44.80 for trainer-owner Mark Silva while giving Stay Hungry another StS sire credit with a 1:52 2/5 score.

Ken Hanover has now won his last four starts, all in a clocking of 1:48 3/5 – first Pocono, then Philly, then Northfield, and Saturday back at Pocono while winning the $25,000 fast-class handicap pace. David Miller inserted the son of Captaintreacherous mid-pack from the outside post seven, then moved with cover mid-backstretch. Ken Hanover tipped wide nearing headstretch and went by the resilient pace-setter Spring Inhis Step A by three-quarters of a length. The career winner of $826,404 is trained by Roland "Polie" Mallar, who also co-owns him with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt.

The Huntsville gelding Hazeville shipped in from Yonkers for an overnight race and never looked back: after going amazing fractions of 25 3/5, 53 4/5 and 1:20 2/5, he kept on rolling and crossed the wire in 1:47 4/5 -- setting a new lifetime mark, tying with Southwind Gendry for quickest mile of the year at Pocono, and missing Bigtime Hero's 11-year-old track record for older pacing geldings by a single tick. George Napolitano Jr. had the best view of the fantastic mile behind the Tom Fanning-trained winner, who is owned by David Rovine Stable LLC., VIP Internet Stable LLC., and Howard Taylor.

David Miller wound up with a winner in every "column" - Sire Stakes, Stallion Series, fast-class pace, and overnight race - to top all drivers on the day with four victories.

The Sunday 6 p.m. card at Pocono is headlined by a $25,000 fast-class handicap trot, with Southwind Coors, second to Aetos Kronos S here last week, assigned the outside in the field of six; there will also be a carryover into the last race High 5 pool.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--