Gingras grabs both PA Sire Stakes tests
At 1h18, on June 26, 2023 • By POCONO DOWNS
Yannick Gingras drove the winners of both divisions of the $148,148 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday (June 25) evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
C Is For Cookie, who swept the Weiss Series earlier here and also won a PA All-Stars event, is now six for six for the year at Pocono Downs after becoming the only double-divisional Sire Stakes winner with her 1:50 victory, which gave her a new mark. C Is For Cookie took the field to a :26.1 quarter then sat behind My Little Captain and Cultured, both in tight quarters off the first bend as they slugged it out in front of the stands with the favored Cultured three-wide much of the first three-eighths and only on top at the :53.4 half.
Before the 1:21.2 three-quarters was reached, Gingras and C Is For Cookie were back on the move. And in the stretch, C Is For Cookie went to the lead while holding off My Little Captain in the Pocono Pike by 1-1/4 lengths. The Linda Toscano-trained filly is owned by Birnam Wood Farms.
The other Sire Stakes division went a tick quicker as Gingras again used rallying tactics to reduce the mark of the Always B Miki filly Always B Naughty to 1:49.4. Unsuccessful after leading at the stretch calls in her two previous PaSS outings, Always B Naughty sat just off a pace argued by Odds On Hail Mary (:26.3 first quarter) and Front Page Story (:54.3 half) before moving up raw to a 1:22.2 three-quarters.
Always B Naughty was the fresh horse late, winning by 2-1/2 lengths over favoured Odds On Hail Mary for trainer Nancy Takter, who is co-owner with J L Benson Stables Inc. and R.B.H. Ventures Inc.
Racing will continue on Monday (June 26) and Tuesday (June 27) at 1 p.m. at Pocono Downs.
