Unbeaten Lyons Legend scores track record

WASHINGTON, PA, Aug. 24, 2023 — In a victory rich with milestones, Lyons Legend (Stay Hungry-Skinny Dip) blazed home in a track-record 1:50.3 in Thursday’s $162,460 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, extended her career unbeaten streak to six and completed her sweep of the four preliminary PASS legs. My Girl EJ (Sweet Lou-Lucy’s Pearl) captured the other division of the stake, known as the Meadows Cheer, for freshman filly pacers.

Lyons Legend idled outside while Sea Shanty Hanover contested and eventually grabbed the lead, keeping the winner parked until the three-eighths. But the filly never had an anxious moment thereafter, drawing off to down Chiapanecas by 3-1/2 lengths for Tim Tetrick while Sea Shanty saved show.

“She did everything I asked her to do,” Tetrick said. “She’s very versatile. She makes your job pretty easy.”

It’s the fastest mile ever paced by a 2-year-old filly at The Meadows, knocking a tick from the mark Sweet Ace established in 2019.

LYONS LEGEND REPLAY

Jim King, Jr. trains Lyons Legend, who now has banked $156,696, for Threelyonsracing. The win sets up a much-anticipated battle between Lyons Legend and Geocentric, who also is undefeated, in the Sept. 2 PASS championship at Pocono. That showdown provides a difficult choice for Tetrick, the regular pilot of both youngsters. He gave no hint as to any current leaning.

“For me, it’s a very tough call,” he said. “I got some decisions to make.”

But if those two fillies think the final will be a private duel, they may have to pay attention to My Girl EJ, as the win by the full sister to 2021 Little Brown Jug winner Lou’s Pearlman also was impressive. She roared to the early lead for Chris Page and scored in 1:51.4, 3/4 lengths better than Sweet Gal, with Lou Lou third.

“She’s been our best filly training down all along,” said Ron Burke, who conditions the filly for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Elizabeth Novak and Howard Taylor. “She’s bred to be a top horse. She’s staked to everything, so we’ll just take our time and pick our spots.”

MY GIRL EJ REPLAY

The Meadow Cheer was a terrific stake for Burke. He entered six of the 11 fillies in the event and took five of the six in-the-money positions, denied only by Lyons Legend. Burke and Tetrick each enjoyed a three-bagger on the 14-race card.

$40,000 PA Stallion Series — 2-Year-Old Filly Pacers

Fight Not Flight (Sweet Lou-Zuluwarriorhanover) and LousLouLemon (Sweet Lou) took the splits in Thursday’s sub-feature.

Fight Not Flight paced patiently in fifth, followed the first-over cover of Miki In Luv and outkicked her to prevail by a length in 1:53.2 for Tetrick. Stay Lucky completed the ticket.

“She’s really immature physically; that’s why we stayed in the stallion series,” said winning trainer Travis Alexander. “We had talked about moving her up, but she needs to learn and mature. Next year she’ll be fine.”

Let It Ride Stables, Bottom Line Racing and Alexander M. Spacc Stable campaign Fight Not Flight.

Friday’s program at The Meadows is a stakes extravaganza, with four stakes spanning nine divisions offering more than $350,000 in purses. Here’s the line-up for the card, which kicks off at 12:45 PM:

· $137,832 PASS, 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers;
· $138,495 PASS, 3-year-old filly trotters;
· $40,000 PA Stallion Series, 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers;
· $40,000 PA Stallion Series, 3-year-old filly trotters.

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

by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows