PAPI GRAD AGAIN A STAR IN SECOND CAREER START
July 14
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $90,000 (3 Divisions)
In Papi Grad’s two-race career, the freshman daughter of Papi Rob Hanover – Betterthangraduate has won on both occasions in 1:51.1. On both occasions, she won by 10¼ 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 two-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 quarter, then stayed in as the pacesetter reached the half at :56.1. 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 three-quarters, then smoked home in :27 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 Hanover miss kept her career record perfect in two starts, lowering her mark to 1:52.4. After early fractions of :28 and :57.3, Tetrick got Westwinds in good second-over position, pacing her own back half in :54.2 while advancing to and past the 1:25 three-quarters to win by 1¼ lengths over pacesetter Daily Double Deo for the partnership of Stambaugh Leeman Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Alan Keith, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
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. Lily White Hanover sat fourth through fractions of :27.1, :56.2, and 1:24.4, 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.
