Fisher's Character fastest in Stallion Series

Fisher’s Character unleashed a powerful uncovered bid from third and went on to score in a career-best 1:51, fastest division of a $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake Friday at The Meadows. The event for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers was conducted over five divisions, with Sectionline Blast, Dodekaphobia, Bonners Creek and Shakearosa taking the other splits. Dave Palone enjoyed a stake double, among his seven wins on the 15-race card, with Fisher’s Character and Dodekaphobia.

 

Palone left for position with Fisher’s Character but had no designs on the early lead. “I didn’t want to put him on the front end,” Palone said. “Anytime he can sit in and relax for a half mile like he did today, he’ll give you one really good push. It couldn’t have worked out any better.”

 

The alert move by Fisher’s Character gave him the jump on the second-over Colonial Road, whose late brush fell 1/2 length short. Iwannarace Hanover finished third. Ron Burke trains Fisher’s Character, a gelded son of Shady Character-Canaco Bercy, for Burke Racing Stable.

 

Dodekaphobia, a gelded son of Village Jolt-Spunky Gal who failed to take a mark in 11 2009 starts, got away third and blew the field away with a first-over move. He scored in a lifetime-fastest 1:53.3, 4-1/4 lengths better than McDickerson. The hard-used Village Rusty was third.

 

"He had some breaking issues last year,” said Eric Ell, who trains Dodekaphobia, a $25,000 yearling purchase, and owns with Lynda Wozny. “He was just green, didn’t know what he was doing. So we nursed him along. He’s just starting to do the right thing. He’s turning into a nice little colt, much better than I thought he would be.”

 

Sectionline Blast, who prepped for the stake in a pair of tough overnight events at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, made a sharp quarter-pole move for Mike Simons and won handily in 1:53. Tuff Enuff Hanover was second, 3-1/4 lengths in arrears, while Unicorn Hanover finished third.

 

“When I landed third, I wanted to put him on the lead,” Simons said. “If I’d been sitting second, I’d have been happy. But with a seven-horse field, the worst spot for you is the three or four hole. It was a move I had to make. He’s a tough little racehorse. The Stallion Series is a good spot for him.”

 

Fred Grant trains Sectionline Blast, a son of Blissful Hall-Armbro Alto, for James Corona, John Shufon and Clyde Jasinski.

 

In the $22,500 Preferred Handicap Pace, Mypanmar made it three in a row with a front-end score in 1:50.4 from post 8. Pedro Island was a game second, a neck back, with Jojo N Goliath third. Palone drove for trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. and Peter Pan Stables. Mypanmar, a 9-year-old gelded son of The Panderosa-Road To Pandalay, pushed his career bankroll to a flashy $1,432,040. (The Meadows)