My Girl EJ stands out in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes prelims

CHESTER PA – My Girl EJ (Sweet Lou) ensured her continued place in the discussion among top harness racing three-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:51 victory in one of three third round prelims, totaling $148,625, of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Sunday afternoon (June 30) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

My Girl EJ took her time working her way to the front, taking command past 2023 divisional winner Geocentric late on the first turn towards a :26.4 quarter, with Rocket Deo, the only winner in both of the PaSS prelims to date, settling third. They went that away around the track, with My Girl EJ getting a big breather to the :56.1 half and then sending away outside pressure past a 1:24 three-quarters.

Geocentric ducked to the passing lane, and Rocket Deo could finally angle wide before midstretch, but Dexter Dunn took one look around and saw his filly was safe with a :27 last quarter in her. Geocentric was second, a length behind the winner and a neck ahead of fast-closing Rocket Deo.  But they weren’t catching My Girl EJ as she boosted her lifetime earnings to $806,971 and won her second Sires race this year for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Elizabeth Novak.

MY GIRL EJ REPLAY

The 1:51 time was actually the slowest of the three Sire Stakes divisions; the fastest clocking was the 1:49.3 lifetime mark posted by another filly guided by Dexter Dunn, the filly Flawless (Captaintreacherous). The Nancy Takter trainee was wide early and moved along to command at the :26.2 quarter, continued on sharply with midsplits of :54.3 and 1:21.4, with first-over Reigning Jade making a big bid to the latter station until going offstride, and then finished out 2½ lengths clear of Asweetbeachhere, who and had photoed out the winner last week. Flawless has now won four of six this year for owners Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband.

FLAWLESS REPLAY

The other Sire Stakes split went to Miki In Luv (Always B Miki), who equaled her lifetime best of 1:50.4. Miki In Luv sat a pocket trip behind Miraculous Deo and fractions of :26.2, :55.1, and 1:22.3, then found room up the inside for driver David Miller and got past the pacesetter by a half length. The winner already has nine victories in her brief career, with Ron Coyne Jr. training her for his Ron Coyne Stables, Blair Corbeil, and Richard and Farrell Carney.

MIKI IN LUV REPLAY

Stay Hungry sired two of the three Stallion Series winners, including the quickest in Lyons Legend, home first in 1:51.3 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., and Threelyonsracing. The ten-time lifetime winner added her second StS victory of the campaign, joining Davenport and Parkavenuelisa (who was second in this race) with that distinction.

The other daughter of Stay Hungry winning in the Stallion Series was Ginger Tree Belle, a nose better than Foxy Hill while equaling her career best of 1:52.3 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Steve Cook, and the ownership of Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stables 2, and Bob Reber Jr. Driver David Miller added an StS win to his Sire Stakes triumph by guiding the Heston Blue Chip filly Pressure Cooker up the far inside in winning in 1:53.1 for trainer Linda Toscano and Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, and Mac Nichol.

The $14,000 fast-class handicap pace saw the gelding Pat McGarry A (Million Dollar Cam) go a big first-over trip then hold off last week’s feature winner Grand Cayman in 1:49.4. Driver Jack Pelling got a lot out of the winner of $333,051 for trainer Jenn Bongiorno and owner Howard Taylor.

Wednesdays are added back to the basic racing schedule this week, with 12:25 programs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 12:40 on Sundays (having said that, the holiday Fourth Of July Thursday card will begin at 12:40). Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia