WILKES-BARRE, PA —Riggins, piloted by Tom Jackson and trained by Paul Reid, produced the third fastest mile in the history of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Saturday evening in winning the $24,000 open handicap pace.
Right from the get-go, Jackson took Riggins, assigned the eight hole, right to the top and was pressured by Jeremy’s Successor (George Napolitano Jr.) with both horses getting to the quarter in a blistering 25.4.
Riggins, looking for two straight at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack in open handicap company, grabbed the lead for good shortly thereafter, taking the eight-horse field to the half in 53 seconds flat and three-quarter mark in 1:20.2 before stopping the timer in 1:48.3.
The 1:48.3 is a new track mark by one full second for an aged pacing stallion and third fastest mile ever in track history.
Riggins won by one-half length over Jeremy’s Successor with third-place going to Where’s Waldo (Joe Pavia Jr.), two and one-quarter lengths back.
Previous track mark for aged pacing gelding was owned by Quality Western of 1:49.3 and established in June of 2007 with Jim Taggart Jr. in the sulky.
Only the three-year-old colt Shadow Play in August of 2008 and Pilgrims Toner, an aged pacing gelding, in May of this year, have gone faster with identical 1:48.2 times.
Shadow Play, with David Miller, won an Adios elimination race here in 2008 with construction going on at the Meadows while Brian Sears drove Pilgrims Toner in this year’s May race that produced the 1:48.2 miles.
Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, FL, own Riggins, a five-year-old Art Major stallion.