Mr. Pine Chip in 1:55

Sophomore colt trotter Mr. Pine Chip stepped off the stakes trail Tuesday afternoon at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with a 1:55 victory in an $8,500 conditioned trot. Although the field was made up mostly of older horses, finishing second to the overwhelming 1-9 favorite was Frank The Hands, another stakes-winning performer last year at two.

Mr. Pine Chip captured the $100,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final last year before wrapping up his rookie campaign with a second-place finish in the $507,600 Breeders Crown on his way to nearly $300,000 in earnings. A half interest in the son of SJ’s Caviar was sold by breeder-owner Joe Sbrocco to Southwind Farms last March for a price reported to be in the “high six figures” and he is now trained by Trond Smedshammer.

Considered one of this year’s top Hambletonian prospects, Mr. Pine Chip opened up his 3-year-old season with a 1:56.2 win in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes contest at Pocono Downs May 28. His 1:55 effort Tuesday was a career best, rallying three wide the final half for Smedshammer to draw clear by 3 ½ lengths over Frank The Hands.

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