Meadows host Classics

With no cover available, Armbro Davina took matters into her own hands and launched an impressive, first-over move from fifth, which carried her to victory in a division of the $75,799 Keystone Classic for 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred pacing fillies on Saturday night at the Meadows. The stakes was conducted in three divisions, and Sunshine State and Maremma Hanover captured the other two splits, and driver Tony Hall scored a driving double aboard Armbro Davina and Sunshine State.

Armbro Davina had been difficult to rate on the lead, so Hall ducked her, but when Voucher and driver Dave Palone led the field to the half-mile pole in a leisurely :58.2, it appeared as if Armbro Davina was exactly where she didn’t want to be. The first-over move, it appeared, appealed to the daughter of The Panderosa.

“We’ve had a lot of bad luck with her on the front,” Hall said. “She gets to the front end and wants to go too much. She tires herself out. Even first-up, she wanted to go a thousand miles an hour. She’s her own worst enemy. But she propelled tonight. I was definitely pleased.”

Armbro Davina had just enough left to win in 1:53.2, by a nose, over a surging Leavea Smile, and Voucher finished in the show position. Randy Bendis trains Armbro Davina for Cynthia Bendis, Frank Castelli, and William Varney.

Sunshine State, a daughter of Dragon Again trained by Ross Croghan, also scored in 1:53.2, after exploiting a “loose pocket trip” behind the early leader, Teen Queen. Hall said he always had Teen Queen in his sights.

“I was trying to rate her because there were pretty stiff fractions,” Hall said. “I had a pretty good hold of her the whole time. She felt pretty solid. She showed a few starts back she could leave a little bit, so I just went with that.”

Taxi Hanover finished one-half length back, in second, just ahead of a tired Teen Queen. Let It Ride Stable, Mentally Stable, Shari Watchman and Vincent Nardone own Sunshine State.

Maremma Hanover, a $50,000 yearling purchase, is now two-for-21 in her racing career, but both victories were in stakes, including a win last year in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. For the most part, her late-pacing style has brought her minor awards.

In the Keystone Classic, driver Mike Wilder had her out and moving at the half-mile pole, and she kicked on strongly and posted a one and three-quarter length victory, in 1:54.3, over Winbak Isabella. The early leader, Fionavar Hanover, overcame a serious shuffle and finished third.

“She’s definitely been getting better and acting gamer,” trainer Dan Altmeyer said. He owns the daughter of Western Hanover in partnership with Richard Kelson. “Her attitude’s not bad at all. She’s pretty small and she works pretty hard at it. She’s really not a winner. She doesn’t try and win too often. I was a little shocked she hung on there to do it.” (The Meadows)

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