Philly Fillies Afloat In Trio Of Lucrative Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Features

 

Philadelphia hosts Hambletonian-Oaks contenders (and then some) on July 3 in three power-purse editions of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) as the Hambletonian Trail rolls into its final month for 2018. These splits are worth $56,000-plus for the contestants bred in the Keystone State, many of them hoping to race into national fame.

Five of the seven fillies in the $56,080 first PASS split are eligible (e) to the “Oaks” (or Hambletonian proper). Bill’s Lady, who has earned the most and won two of six starts, leads them. Along with her, support is bound to go to Seviyorum, the Millers’ highly touted soph, with only two starts but finishing on the board in both.

Hey Blonde (e) has only had a single start for veteran-Hambletonian conditioner Chuck Sylvester and she was second. Ake Svanstedt’s filly, Lady Charisma, is just looking for the biggest paycheck as she continues to earn well racing against the August hopefuls.

Sylvester’s filly may wind up with the best value of the contenders. Hey Blondie is a late starter and she may have way more in her tank than the one race she shows. Certainly Sylvester won’t get much, if any, backing on brand, since the contemporary bettors may not be aware of his prowess in the history of trotting stakes.

Only Kenziesky Hanover races with ineligible status in round two, worth $56,080. The other six are regular characters in the division a month out of August, as well as they have been sharing some big bucks.

Trond Smedshammer’s Phaetosive may be his brightest Oaks contender. She has had but one race in 2018, as Trond speculates the rate of her peaking. She is the morning-line (ML) choice, without having won yet, while two-of-seven Piranha Fury had a pair of wins and was off the board only twice while earning the most of any in this field.

D’bomb has not won yet, either, though she was expected to in six starts that included the Dexter Cup, where she entered a promising season. Even without a win, the Ron Burke gal should get some action, maybe more on brand than performance but still enough to spread the odds out a bit.

Should the odds spread to generously, Piranha Fury may be afforded worse odds than her chances, in which case there is no other to back.

The remaining PASS split, worth $56,480, gathers eight, all of which desire a berth in a classic at the Meadowlands the first weekend of August.

Top-earner Live Laugh Love has the rail for Nifty Norman and will get a ton of backing with three wins in four starts (one second), a better win percentage than the penultimate, Nixie Volo, who has three wins and no finish worse than third for trainer John Butenschoen. Still, this is a contentious field barring any jumps or miscues. These gals have, after all, raced against the great Manchego, who is colt-challenge material.

Lily Stride may be the contender given the least attention, which would be a windfall for bargain hunters. This is only her fourth start of the season for Mark Harder and if she settles behind the gate anywhere near her 15-1 ML she may be smiling at those who counted on her when she shines in the winner’s circle with double digits flashing on the tote behind her.

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