Lynch Memorial eliminations contested at Pocono Downs

Loving Caroline, Respectable, and Native Bride all won eliminations for next week’s James M. Lynch Memorial stakes race for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday afternoon at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. 

In the first elimination, Loving Caroline made a first over move past tiring favorite Woman Rebels and paced away to win in 1:52:4 with Yannick Gingras in the bike.  Gentle Artist finished 2nd and Rusty Again got 3rd to reach the finals.  Woman Rebels, a 1-5 shot, was hurt by a break of stride on the first turn which caused her to expend extra effort to get the lead.  She ended last in the seven-horse field.

Loving Caroline, owned by Mentally Stable Inc. of Delray Beach, FL and trained by Ross Croghan, picked up her first win of the year and 4th lifetime in 12 races.  The filly sired by Art Major went off at 11-1 and clocked a career-best with the winning time of 1:52:4.

In the second elimination, Gingras was at it again and chose a second-over path for Respectable, who then blew by her cover, Lightning Glory, to win by a half-length in a career-best 1:52.  Lightning Glory did manage 2nd and Sand Pleasure rallied for 3rd to punch her ticket to the final.  The even-money favorite Mozzi Hanover, winner of 5 of 6 starts coming into the race, failed to hit the board.

Respectable, owned by Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, FL, is trained by Steve Elliott, who also trained last year’s Lynch champion, Southwind Tempo.  The filly, a 7-2 shot sired by Blissful Hall, now has 4 wins in 9 lifetime races.

The fastest winning time was turned in by the final elimination winner Native Bride, who made a sweeping three-wide move in the stretch as the even-money second choice to knock off the 4-5 favorite Ideal Newton by 3 ½ lengths in 1:51:3.  Ideal Newton settled for 2nd while Fiddle Rose, a maiden, snuck up for 3rd to make the final.

Driven and trained by Joe Pavia Jr., Native Bride now owns 8 wins in 9 lifetime starts, with her lone loss coming by a nose.  The filly, sired by Allamerican Native, was coming off a win at Pocono in the May Flowers late closer pacing series for owners Jay Sears of Osteen, FL and T H Stable LLC of Wall, NJ.

The Lynch final next Saturday, June 14, at Pocono is scheduled to carry a purse of $250,000. (Pocono Downs)

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