WASHINGTON, PA, Sept. 6, 2020 — Searching for some exciting Labor Day harness racing action? Look no further than The Meadows, which on Monday will host eight Pennsylvania Stallion Series championships. Each final goes for $40,000, meaning $320,000 will be up for grabs.
On the wagering front, the 15-race card features a trio of rich opportunities: a $9,734.02 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5; a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Early Pick 4 (race 3); a $710.01 carryover in the early Pick 5 (race 2). First post is 12:45 PM.
Here's a look at several of the most intriguing stallion series finals:
2-Year-Old Filly Pace (Race 4)
Odds On Whitney got a latish start to her freshman campaign, finishing second in a July 28 overnight event at Harrah's Philadelphia. But she's a full sister to Papi Rob Hanover, who set a world record 1:47.1 in an elimination of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids before injury forced his retirement. So if owner Odds On Racing and trainer Tony Alagna still entertained large expectations for Odds On Whitney, they weren't disappointed.
She won her next two starts — both stallion series splits — in impressive fashion, setting a stake record of 1:51.3 at The Meadows despite being parked out for one-half mile. She'll go from post 4 with Tim Tetrick.
Her chief competition figures to be Darby Hanover (Andy Miller, post 6), who captured all three stallion series legs she contested, and Podium Girl (Dexter Dunn, post 1), who has a pair of stallion series victories.
3-Year-Old Filly Trot (Race 7)
Dune Hill has been unstoppable in the series, sweeping the four preliminary legs for trainer Ron Burke and owner Joseph DiScala, Jr. She's won seven of nine starts this year and boasts career earnings of $131,886. The daughter of Muscle Hill-Quite Possible is stuck with post 7, but she won an Aug. 15 stallion series division from that post despite a three-wide struggle for the early lead. Matt Kakaley will drive.
A pair of locally based fillies will try to upset Dune Hill. Perth Angel De Vie (Bryce Brocklehurst, post 5) notched a series victory and finished in the money in all four preliminary legs. Aunt Bee (Wilbur Yoder, post 1) also collected a series win but lost to Dune Hill in the other three legs.
3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot (Race 13)
Overserved (Tetrick, post 3) and Shadrack Hanover (Kakaley, post 7) have grown into their talent and are razor sharp; each enters the championship on a three-race winning streak.
Overserved (Explosive Matter-Afterimage), who races for trainer George Ducharme and owners William Donovan, Stephen Michaels, Joe Sbrocco and Jim Winske, won those three races by a combined 7-3/4 lengths. Shadrack Hanover (Muscle Hill-Shared Past) was unraced at 2 but has lost only once for Burke and owner Elite Trotting.
This is an ultra-competitive heat and a fine way to bring down the curtain on the stallion series.
by Evan Pattak, for the MSOA