July 18, 2012
All three winners of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs went faster than the existing track record for three-year-old trotting fillies, with Holier Than Thou matching a world record in her division win as a 27-1 long shot. There were three divisions of the Sire Stakes held at Pocono for the sophomore distaff trotters with purses ranging from $99,503 to $99,907.
Maven (Glidemaster-M Stewart), who was fresh off a win in the Reynolds at The Meadowlands and was made the 1-9 favorite, started the record-breaking off with a 7 ¼ length win in her division with Yannick Gingras in the bike. Uncommon Night was 2nd, while Can’t Have My Moni was further back in 3^rd.
Trained by Jonas Czernyson and owned by W J Donovan, Maven now has 11 wins in 17 lifetime starts. The winning time of 1:53:2 broke the Pocono mark for her age group of 1:53:4, which was set in August of 2010 by Christiana Hanover and matched a month later by Pictures Of Millie.
Superstar Hanover (Cantab Hall-Star Hanover), trained and driven by Jimmy Takter, atoned for a loss at 1-9 two starts ago at Pocono by winning the second Sire Stakes division in 1:53:3. The filly, owned by Christina Takter, Louie Camara, and John Fielding, held off fast closing Real Babe in 2^nd and Oasis Dream in 3^rd.
In the final Sire Stakes split, Holier Than Thou (Cantab Hall-Sunday Yankee), again featuring the connections of Gingras, Czernyson, and Donovan, rallied from way back for a 2 ¾ length win in 1:53:1, resetting the track mark and matching the world record on a 5/8 oval for 3-year-old trotting fillies held by Hiddden Viggorish. Holier Than Thou, a 27-1 shot, more than doubled her lifetime earnings with the big purse. Favorite Valdonna finished 2^nd while Aren’t I Hanover grabbed the show.