Domenico Cecere wins three PA Stallion Stakes

CHESTER, PA – A big harness racing week for Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old colts at Harrah's Philadelphia started on Wednesday afternoon with six divisions of the second preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for trotters.

Trainer Domenico Cecere, head trainer for the powerful Lindy Farms and profiled in the just-delivered edition of Hof Beats magazine, conditioned the first two winners. The first was an impressive Muscle Hill – Brooklyn colt named Kings County, who was the fastest of all entrants in the six divisions going into the contest by virtue of a 1:56 morning Meadowlands outing.

Here he followed the cover of Holiday Hangover, went on when that one cleared before the ¾, and outdueled him by a neck while trotted his own back half in 56.2, much of it raw, in completing a 1:57.1 package. David Miller handled the driving duties for the maiden win of Kings Court for the Lindy Farms of Connecticut.

Cecere then sent out the Cantab Hall – Southwind Catlin colt Union Forces for his purse debut, and the youngster, a winner in all three of his morning races, fastest in 1:57.3, needed only 2:00.1 to take his initial pari-mutuel contest. Scott Zeron just let the colt grind away first-over, and the pair finished in 29 to be three lengths clear at the finish for Lindy Farms of Connecticut, Robert Rudolph, David Anderson, and John Fielding.

The Donato Hanover – Seducer Hall gelding Faithfulandtrue remained undefeated after three starts, including two in the Stallion Series, after coming home in 57.4 on the engine while taking a new mark of 1:58. Mike Cole sat in the sulky behind the streaking freshman for trainer Joe Columbo and George& Tina Dennis Racing.

Donato Hanover then added a second baby with a 2-for-2 Stallion Series record to his credit when the colt Crossfit, out of the mare Muscle Test, rallied from second-over to take a new mark of 2:00.2 in a finish that saw five competitors within a length at the finish. George Napolitano Jr. guided the Chris Beaver pupil for owner Joe Sbrocco, with the two Stallion Series wins constituting Crossfit's lifetime purse record.

As soon as you see the phrase "Muscle Hill freshman gelding," you know you have a ton of potential mixed in with likely behavorial problems. The Muscle Hill – Proclaiming April gelding Final Claim had been certainly all of both prior to his Stallion Series event today, but this was the day he put it all together, setting the pace and stepping home in 57.3 to leave his field 8¼ lengths behind while winning in the stakes action's fastest time of 1:56.4, only a tick off the North American season's record.

Matt Kakaley and Ron Burke, certainly on a roll in the past week (hello, Dorsoduro), teamed behind the fast winner for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phil Collura, J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby, and Michelle Yanek.

In the final Stallion Series event, a circle was completed as trainer Domenico Cecere of Lindy Farms, who had won the first two divisions, also took the last, as the Cantab Hall – Lindys Gone Crazy colt Lindy's Crazy Hall made his purse debut a winning one in 1:57.4.

David Miller had the colt on an open lead the last half and still had three lengths in early stretch, but here came first-round StS winner Forecast – only as Forecast narrowed in he also bore wide, and that may have contributed to Lindy's Crazy Hall keeping a ½-length advantage to the finish. Lindy Farms of Connecticut is the owner of the developing youngster.

Tomorrow three divisions of this section's Pennsylvania Sire Stakes group goes postward, with a pair of Muscle Hill colts, Prospect Hill and Demon On The Hill, hoping to take their PaSS records to 2-for-2. 

From the PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia