Palone dominates PASS at Pocono

Four wins, three stakes victories and a track record. Just another day at the office for driver Dave Palone at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Friday afternoon.

Palone dominated Pennsylvania Sires Stakes action, winning three out of six divisions for two-year-old trotting fillies. He added a fourth win with Kat N Mouse in a conditioned pace.

The track record came courtesy of Flower Lane, who tied the mark for two-year-old trotting fillies with Palone aboard en route to a Sires Stakes victory.

The filly grabbed the engine and was never headed, crossing the line in 1:57:2. That matched the record set by Beignet Hanover in 2003. Flower Lane now has five wins in six career starts, including three-for-three in Sires Stakes competition.

Poster Pin Up chased her home for the runner-up spot and Yalta Hanover finished third. Ray Schnittker trains Flower Lane for Allister Stables Inc. of Freehold, NJ.

Hawaiianphotograph finally broke through with a Sires Stakes win after places in her previous three races. Palone gunned her from fourth on the backstretch and she trotted away for the win in 1:58:1.

Bill Zendt is the trainer for owners Shanamphilaniklou Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa. My Ante Anne was second and Three Palms got the show dough.

Palone's other Sires Stakes win came aboard Morguns Sweetheart, who rallied in the stretch to win her debut in 1:58:4. Buzzy Sholty does the training and is part of the ownership group of George F. Sholty Stable Inc. of Florida and Sholty Stable Inc. of Indiana. Digitized picked up the place award and third went to Tia Maria Kosmos.

Ironically, Athena Hanover, an previously unbeaten filly that seemed like Palone's surest shot on the day, started sluggishly and could only manage a second-place finish in her division behind Dancing On Stage.

Dancing On Stage, with Tim Tetrick in the bike, led most of the way and picked up the Sires Stakes win in 1:57:3. Travis Alexander is the trainer for owners Arlene and Jules Siegel of New Hope, PA. World Premiere rounded out the top three.

Driver Mike Simons had a fine day as well, winning the remaining two Sires Stakes splits.

One of those came in big upset fashion when Corfu Hanover, a 16-1 shot, rallied to win in 1:59:4. The racing gods were smiling on the filly from the barn of Clarence Martin Jr., as the two fillies battling it out with her in the stretch both went on late breaks.

Tortoni had to settle for second and odds-on favourite Grace N Charlie faded to finish third. Peggy Martin of Lafayette, GA owns Corfu Hanover, who earned her maiden win.

Simons also guided Saorse to a surprising Sires Stakes win in 1:59:3. The filly, who was sent off as a 7-1 shot, earned her second stakes win at Pocono. She also won a Reynolds stakes race at the track in July.

She is owned by Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme of Brigham, QC and trained by Jean Pierre Dubois. Petiti finished second with Artsy Hanover third.

Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action continues at Pocono on Saturday afternoon with seven divisions of two-year-old pacing fillies. (Pocono Downs)

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