2YO fillies battle it out in PASS splits

WASHINGTON, PA, June 29, 2024 — Princess Jackie (Greenshoe-Frisky Magic) avoided a pair of early breakers, quarter-poled to the point and widened her lead throughout to score in Saturday’s $158,798 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Shes A Shoe In (Greenshoe-Casaubon) captured the other division in the stake, known as the Meadow Gladys, for freshman harness racing filly trotters.

Princess Jackie won impressively at first asking at Pocono and seemed poised to repeat in the Meadow Gladys, First, though, she had to negotiate the mess approaching the quarter.

“Most of that stuff was going on outside us,” said winning driver Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. “But she was really professional. She could have gone a lot more, but she was under wraps. I think she’s legit. She can compete with any of them.”

Indeed, she looked the part, defeating Elaine T S by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:56, with Blueberry third. D.R. Ackerman trains for Doug Ackerman.

PRINCESS JACKIE REPLAY

Shes A Shoe In, who finished second to Princess Jackie in her career debut, took her time making the lead from post 8 for Mark MacDonald, but once she crossed over near the half, she brushed off the mild challenge of Divine Thing and downed her by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:57.2. Lone Wolf Blaire earned show.

Ray Schnittker, who trains Shes A Shoe In — a $50,000 yearling acquisition — and owns with Grozcona Racing Stable LLC, noted his familiarity with the filly’s family.

“We had her brother, who made more than $100,000 in New York last year without ever winning a race,” Schnittker said. “She has a really good mouth — I think you can do anything with her, and she’s really good gaited. She’s staked real well at the end of the year.”

SHES A SHOE IN REPLAY

$80,000 PA Stallion Series — 2-Year-Old Filly Trotters

Country Victory (International Moni-Kristins Victory), Worldly Charm (International Moni), Tally The Tab (International Moni), and Pink Whiskey (Southwind Frank) each won a division of Saturday’s sub-feature.

In her career debut, Country Victory moved first over for trainer/driver Melvin Schmucker and put the field in her rear-view mirror, prevailing by 7-3/4 lengths in 1:57.2. Shalamar Hanover and Diane Hanover rounded out the ticket. Schmucker said he wasn’t shooting for a mile that fast but wasn’t surprised by it.

“That’s just the way the race worked out,” he said. “I knew I wanted to get away close to the front, and when there wasn’t a hole, we just kept on going. We’ll race mostly in Pennsylvania, but she has a couple other things later in the year.”

Yacht Club 140 LLC campaigns the filly, whom Schmucker purchased as a weanling.

COUNTRY VICTORY REPLAY

In Saturday’s $21,200 Open Trot, Good Feeln To Know (Trixton-Gentle True Spirit) prevailed in 1:52.3 for Dave Palone and trainer Nick Kozar. With the victory, the gelding vaulted over $100,000 in career earnings for owners Jack Piatt III and Howard Alexander.

Dave Palone collected three wins on the 13-race card.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday, first post 12:45 PM.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Evan Pattak, for the MSOA