Princess Jackie has made a remarkable start to her career, boasting three consecutive wins, including two in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, $181,353 in earnings, and a record of 1:55.3. On Thursday, she will aim to extend her unbeaten streak in the Delmonica Hanover, a $157,598 PA Sire Stakes leg for two-year-old filly trotters at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
The card also features an $80,000 PA Stallion Series leg for two-year-old trotting fillies, with the first post scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
Owner/trainer D.R. Ackerman purchased Princess Jackie, a daughter of Greenshoe-Frisky Magic, for a mere $30,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. Ackerman speculates that Greenshoe's first season at stud, which did not initially make him a popular sire, may have contributed to her low sale price.
Named in honour of Ackerman’s two-year-old granddaughter Jackie, Princess Jackie is eligible for several lucrative late-season stakes, including the Breeders Crown and the Matron. She will start from post two in race eight on Thursday, with Tim Tetrick driving.
Also, worth watching in the Delmonica Hanover is Blueberry, starting from post six in race six with Brian Zendt. Blueberry finished second and third behind Princess Jackie in their previous Sire Stakes encounters, and boasts a 1:57 victory in an Arden Downs Grand Circuit split.
Trainer Doug Snyder, who also conditioned Blueberry’s full brother (who tragically died in a farm accident), was confident in her potential from the beginning.
Though Blueberry’s stakes schedule this year is limited, she is eligible for numerous events next season. Her name, inspired by a family dinner where blueberries were served, reflects the whimsy of her beginnings. On Thursday, Blueberry will aim to add a sweet victory to her record.