Trotting Filly of the Year wins 2016 debut

WILKES-BARRE PA – Broadway Donna, last year's Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, made her harness racing three-year-old debut a successful one Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning a division of the second preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies in 1:54.1.

 

Despite not having raced in eight months and three days, since she suffered her only loss when making a break on the lead in her Breeders Crown elimination, the Pocono faithful backed the daughter of Donato Hanover to the tune of 3-5, and she rewarded their confidence. Driver David Miller sent the ten-time winner to lead after the 28 quarter, tripped the beam in 57.2 and 1:26.3 midrace, then sprinted home in 27.3 to win by 1¾ lengths over early leader Spicedbourbongirl. Kathy Parker was third, two lengths behind Spicedbourbongirl and an equal distance ahead of second choice Double Exposure, who went first-over here but had to settle for fourth in her first start since winning the Goldsmith Maid Final last November. Jim Campbell trains the winner of $558,392 for owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC.

 

Ginny Weasley upheld the quickly(in No.Am.)-established fact that Ãke Svanstedt trainees are race-ready no matter how long a layoff, rallying into a 56 last half to overhaul pacesetter Sunset Glider by 1¾ lengths and take a new mark of 1:55 in another division. The Andover Hanover filly had not raced since May 17, but she was certainly ready to run her Sire Stakes record in 2016 to 2-for-2, with Lucas Wallin handling sulky duties for Svanstedt and owners Torp Trotting Inc.

 

In the third division, Ultimate Shopper kept her 2016 tally undefeated after a pair of starts, taking the lead off the first turn, pushing favorite Woman's Will hard before surrendering the lead to her, then moving again in the stretch and running down that foe to post a two length win in 1:54.3. Tim Tetrick was the pilot for the daughter of Yankee Glide, whom trainer Anette Loretzon co-owns with ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson.

 

Rose Run Parker, still the fastest trotter of 2016 by virtue of his Meadowlands victory in 1:50.4 one month minus one day ago, worked his way past favored JL Cruze in front of the stands, got a relative middle half breather of 57.3 despite a parked rival on his shoulder, then motored home in 28, with JL Cruze unable to make up stretch ground, in winning the $25.000 winners-over trot in 1:53. The altered son of Jailhouse Jesse, now with a 67% win percentage in 2016 (6-for-9) and a 68% win percentage lifetime (34-for-50), tallied Sunday night for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

 

Tomorrow will be a very big day at The Downs, both in the race office and on the racetrack. The eliminations for this coming Saturday's eliminations for the $2M+ Sun Stakes Saturday to be held on July 2 will be DRAWN MONDAY MORNING AT 9 A.M. (horsemen please note), with a release previewing their races going out midafternoon. At night, five divisions of PA Stallion Series sophomore trotting fillies will be in the feature spotlight.