Philos Hanover, Native Bride, In Focus honored in Pennsylvania

Pacers Native Bride and Philos Hanover and trotter In Focus were recently selected as award winners for their 2008 contributions to Pennsylvania harness racing by the Keystone Chapter of the U. S. Harness Writers Association.

The 3-year-old pacing filly Native Bride earned not only Sire Stakes Pacer of the Year honors, but was also selected as overall Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Horse of the Year. A daughter of Allamerican Native, Native Bride is owned by TH Stable LLC in partnership with veteran horseman Jay Sears–whose son Brian handled her in most of her Pennsylvania races. Joe Pavia Jr. was her trainer throughout her Keystone State Sires campaign.

Native Bride was three for three in her Sire Stakes prelims, then won her Championship event by almost six lengths in 1:50.4. Her 2008 Sire Stakes earnings were $148,166, tops among all PA Sire Stake pacers. She would go on to lower her personal mark to 1:50 during Grand Circuit at Lexington .

A sophomore son of SJ’s Photo, In Focus won the award as Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Trotter of the Year. In Focus was the only horse this year who won all four of his Sire Stakes preliminaries and then also won the Championship event, on the front end. His Sire Stakes earnings of $172,590 topped all Pennsylvania Sire Stakes performers in 2008. In Focus then went on to lower his personal mark to 1:52.3 at Lexington .

In Focus is trained by Jimmy Takter, whose wife Christina shares ownership with John Fielding and Jim Fielding. Dave Palone handled the fast trotter in his PaSS starts.

Each of the tracks (and the fair circuit) nominated a horse for overall Pennsylvania Harness Horse of the Year honors, and the voters went for Philos Hanover, a son of Cam’s Card Shark, based on his outstanding record at Harrah's Chester. Philos posted a 21-8-4-2 slate against the very best pacers Chester had to offer, earning $213,866 at Chester alone, and he set his mark of 1:49.3 there on May 11. A horse who frequently was able to take advantage of his outstanding gate speed, Philos Hanover was trained by Joe Poliseno and usually driven at Chester by Cat Manzi for owner John Cancelliere.

These people and horses will join others being honored at the second annual Celebration of Pennsylvania Harness Racing, an awards banquet to be held Saturday, Dec. 6, at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Information about tickets and hotel accommodations are listed on the website at www.pahha.com; further information can be had from Jerry Connors of the Racing Commissions at (717) 787-5539.

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