Aug 21, 2018 3 min read

At The Meadows

Nearly scratched after tying up Monday, Phaetosive turned in a gritty first-over performance that carried her to victory in Tuesday’s $165,038 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows. The event for 3-year-old filly trotters, known as the Meadow Bright, was contested over two divisions, with Miss Jubilee Hill taking the other split.

Following her second-place finish in the Hambletonian Oaks, Phaetosive was recovering nicely. Trond Smedshammer, who trains and drives the daughter of Explosive Matter-Phaeton, reported over the weekend that she was training well. That all changed Monday morning.

“She tied up pretty bad,” Smedshammer said. “She was supposed to come here yesterday afternoon, but I decided to get her loosened up and turn her out in the paddock until midnight. We put her on the truck at 4 a.m. and shipped up.

“If she didn’t feel normal warming up, I planned to scratch her. She felt okay, but she wasn’t herself in the race. It’s a big relief right now. I think I aged two years in one day.”

Even at less than full strength, Phaetosive engaged Hey Blondie down the backside and finally lunged ahead of the game leader at the wire, defeating her by a neck in 1:54 over a “good” surface. The victory lifted her career bankroll north of $500,000 and propelled Phaetosive into the $252,000 PASS championship Sept. 2 at Pocono.

The daughter of Muscle Hill-Miss Majestic earned a fat check and a lot of respect when she followed the live cover of 2-5 favorite Seviyorum and blew by in the lane to score in 1:55.1 for Tim Tetrick and owner/trainer Mark Steacy. Megadolce rallied for second, a half length back, while Seviyorum saved show.

Ravens’ Smith suspended

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith has been suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The suspension will take effect after the final mandated roster cuts on Sept. 1 and last through Baltimore’s game at Pittsburgh Sept. 30.

Smith, who is entering his seventh season, will be allowed to participate in all of the Ravens’ preseason activities, including games.

The Ravens released a statement that in part read: “The Ravens fully support the NFL’s decision. The NFL found evidence of threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors by Jimmy toward his former girlfriend that showed a pattern of improper conduct. Our player’s behavior was inappropriate and wrong.”

The 30-year-old Smith played in 12 games last season before an Achilles tendon injury forced him to miss the team’s final four games. During those four weeks, he chose to accept an NFL suspension for using performance enhancers.

Former NFL

lineman arrested

Authorities say former NFL offensive lineman Richie Incognito has been arrested on charges he threatened to shoot employees of a funeral home.

Scottsdale, Ariz. police said Incognito is being held on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of threats and disorderly conduct.

They say the 35-year-old Incognito was at the funeral home Monday to make arrangements for his father, who died last weekend.

Police say Incognito got upset at the mortuary’s staff and “threatened to retrieve guns from his vehicle and return to shoot employees.”

Incognito attended a Phoenix-area high school before an 11-year NFL career with St. Louis, Miami and Buffalo.

He was suspended by the Dolphins in 2013 for bullying a teammate and arrested last May in Florida for allegedly throwing a dumbbell and tennis ball at another gym patron.