WILKES-BARRE, PA —Ruffle’s Kiss, Odds On Moinet and Aspectofmusic captured the three $87,000-plus Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
It was a thrilling stretch duel between Ruffle’s Kiss (Joe Pavia Jr.) and 1-5 favorite Dancinwiththrestarz (Jim Morrill Jr.) in the opening division before the former won by a neck with a 1:52 time for the mile.
The two favorites in the race were 1-2 at the half with Dancinwiththestarz in front with the half timed in 56. It remained that way the rest of the mile with the second-place horse getting to the three-quarter pole in 1:23.2.
“My filly is getting better every week,” said Pavia Jr., who also trains Ruffle’s Kiss. “She’s coming into her own. I tried to duck inside but Jimmy is too smart for that and kept me out before the three-quarter pole.
“I dropped back in at the last turn and Jimmy’s horse got a little tired.”
The win was the second straight in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition for Ruffle’s Kiss, who was coming off a 1:51.4 victory at Harrah’s Chester Downs.
Odds On Moinet, also driven by Morrill Jr., won by a head over a fast-closing It’s De Lovely in the second sire stakes division.
Morrill Jr. gave the winner, trained by Robin Schadt, a pocket trip behind All Heart Gal (George Napolitano Jr.). The latter got to the opening split in 27.1, half in 57.2 and three-quarters in 1:26.2 before finishing third, a length and a quarter back.
Odds On Moinet closed in 27.3 to win for the seventh time in nine starts this year with earnings of more than $143,000.
Aspectofmusic(Yannick Gingras) was a 10-1 longshot winner of the third stakes division.
Quick fractions took its toll on favorites Native Doll (Brett Miller) and World Fame (Pavia Jr.), who battled to the half and three-quarter pole.
Gingras sat fifth for three-quarters of the race and came home in 30 seconds flat to win this division with a time of 1:53.
Opening panel went in 26.4, half in 54.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.
Sand Gesture (Napolitano Jr.) finished second in the race with Native Doll third.