Another C Note stays undefeated in three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes starts

Another C Note (Captaintreacherous) stayed undefeated in three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminary harness racing starts and seven races overall in 2025, lowering his mark to 1:50.3 in one of three $37,335 divisions of the third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the Super Sunday card.

A Captaintreacherous colt driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke (their third successful collaboration before the three Invitationals), Another C Note fired away wide and worked to the front in a :26.4 quarter, with Apocalypse Blue Chip stepping away well to defend pocket position. The winner put up midsplits of :55.3 and 1:23.1, with second choice Always B Charlie advancing uncovered approaching the latter pole. But Another C Note had another gear in him, easily warding off Always B Charlie by 1¼ lengths while finishing out his lucky seventh victory for Burke Racing LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Let It Ride Stables Inc., and Scott Dillon.

ANOTHER C NOTE REPLAY

Melillo, a national stakes contender at two and a good second in each of his two previous Sire Stakes races this season, showed himself a likely contender throughout North America again this season with a powerful 1:48.4 victory, equaling his mark and giving trainer Burke a second PaSS victory.

A colt by Burke Brigade “mascot” Sweet Lou, Melillo had the lead before the middle of the first turn under Tim Tetrick’s direction, and paced on to fractions of :27.1, :54.4, and  1:21.4, at the last-named station beginning to leave his opposition further behind. The victorious colt, now a winner of $427,502 for Burke Racing LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with the winner’s namesake, Jason Melillo, saw two longshots finish closest to him, 33-1 Easy Breeze second and  50-1 Talbot Andretti.

Sneaky Squeaky was trying to ring up his third Sire Stakes victory, but the Papi Ron Hanover gelding Papi Rick, handled alertly by Andrew McCarthy, worked out a pocket trip behind the favorite, who set fractions of :27.2, :56.1, and 1:23.3. McCarthy had room in the passing lane and gained into a :27 last quarter to win by three-quarters of a length in a lifetime best 1:50.3.

MELILLO REPLAY

Papi Rick had been absent from Victory Lane since last July 27, but he had shown progress going up the Pennsylvania ladder from Stallion Series to All-Stars to Sire Stakes, and he reached the winners circle in the last stake of Super Sunday for trainer Noel Daley and Patricia Stables, Sjoblom Racing,  and L A Express Stable.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia