WASHINGTON, PA, Aug. 23, 2018 — With her victories in the Lynch final and the Mistletoe Shalee, Kissin In The Sand soared to the top of the 3-year-old filly pacing division. On Friday at The Meadows, she'll try to lock up a berth in the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stake championship set for Sept. 2 at Pocono.
In Friday's PASS, a $160,238 stake known as the Romola Hanover, she'll go from post 6 in race 8, with Dave Palone driving for trainer Nancy Johansson and owners Marvin Katz and Hatfield Stables. Special post time for the twilight card is 5:30 PM.
Kissin In The sand has finished first or second in all eight starts this year, lifting her career bankroll to $634,997. She's tied for fourth in PASS standings; with nine of the Top 10 in PASS points competing in the Romola Hanover, it might not be a day at the beach for the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Kiss Me Kate.
Speaking of days at the beach, that's pretty much how she's been prepping for the stake. Johansson is a proponent of interval training, which involves brief, intense bursts of speed followed by long, slow jogs. The workouts take place on the straight, in deep sand, and can last an hour. Trainers who use interval training say it builds foundation while increasing the capacity for quicker, faster brushes.
"About 95 percent of European trainers use it," Johansson says. "Speed is tough on the joints, and this allows you to work the heart without having to go very quickly. We're very diligent about checking heart rates after training, and she always has a very low heart rate."
Johansson believes Kissin In The Sand is well positioned to finish the season strongly and win the divisional Dan Patch award.
"I think that's everybody's goal, although now that she's at the top, everybody's coming after her," she says. "I see no reason why she couldn't do it. She's been super all year, and she's gad good breaks between her tough races."
Johansson indicated she's had preliminary discussions with Katz about the direction for Kissin In The Sand once this season ends.
"Marvin is a successful breeder, and she would do great in the breeding shed. But if she can make money on the track, that option is still there. She'd be competitive with aged mares. A lot of them will be bred, so there may be fewer of them next year."
The card also features a $40,000 PA Stallion Series stake for sophomore filly pacers and many fan-centric activities. As part of the "Corks and Kegs Weekend," fans may enjoy a variety of specialties from food trucks on the apron. Nearby, fans 12 and older can participate in a virtual reality exhibit that will give them the experience of driving a Standardbred. Radio station 93.7 FM The Fan will broadcast live from the track and kick off the program with a match race between on-air personalities Joe Starkey and Chris Mueller.
The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) will offer "Family Fun Night" festivities that include a bounce house, a stilt walker, a face painter and a balloon artist. In addition, the MSOA will invite fans to play Plinko, and eight of the track's regular drivers will compete in a "Pony Hop Charity Challenge," with all prize money donated to the drivers' designated charities.
For more information or to participate, stop by the MSOA table in the Racebook. Drivers and their charities include:
Mike Wilder — Pacing for the Cure
by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows