Since there were just two nights of racing last week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs due to the wildly successful Oktoberfest celebration at the track, there wasn’t really enough action to merit a full-out Weekly Awards this time around. We’ll get back to that next week since we’ll have five racing cards to describe, as there will be Thursday afternoon races on tap in addition to our normal nights of Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Without the Weekly Awards taking up space, it gives me the opportunity to celebrate our amazing driving colony at Pocono. Normally, we name a Driver of the Week, but one name per week hardly tells the tale of the amazing driving talent we at MSPD have witnessed each and every night. In 2011, more than ever, it is a balanced group featuring both established superstars and up-and-coming youngsters who can more than hold their own.
Some statistics can shed some light on all of this. Over 80 different drivers have earned at least one win this season at Pocono. Of those, 26 have earned at least 10 wins. That’s a far cry from in years past, when there was a steady group of 10 or 15 drivers who competed against each other every night. The high purses and great racing amenities have drawn some of the biggest names in the sport to Northeastern Pennsylvania.
For example, guys like Ron Pierce, Brian Sears, David Miller, Andy Miller, and John Campbell only showed up at Pocono in past seasons when there were huge stakes races on tap. This season, we’ve seen them on a semi-regular basis, often in the middle of the week battling it out in overnight racing. In addition, Dave Palone, the great champion headquartered at The Meadows, has been here often enough to hit the MSPD Top 10 in drivers wins, while Tim Tetrick, who was once Pocono’s leading driver, has been back often this year to wield his magic.
With all of those big names, you might think that some of the Pocono regulars have been muscled out of the winner’s circle. In actuality, guys like Mike Simons, Larry Stalbaum, Jim Taggart Jr., Matt Romano, David Ingraham, and Howard Parker have stepped up their games to stay competitive all season long.
Of our regulars, George Napolitano Jr. and Joe Pavia Jr., two of the most familiar faces and most successful drivers in Pocono history, have been particularly fine this year. Despite getting a late start to the season and then missing time with an injury, George Nap has been perched in the #2 spot in wins for much of the year. Pavia, one of dying breed of double-threat horsemen, has pulled off the impressive feat of being in the Top 5 in driving wins and in the Top 10 in training victories.
All of those guys we’ve mentioned already are well established and have been around the game for a while. In the past, younger drivers would have to pay their dues and usually took their lumps at tracks the caliber of Pocono. But one of the most refreshing changes in harness racing in recent years has been the influx of younger drivers who can compete at the highest level almost with no apprenticeship whatsoever.
Consider the fact that our most hallowed stakes race, the Max Hempt Memorial Pace, was won by a horse driven by 21-year-old Montrell Teague. Andrew McCarthy and Anthony Napolitano, both under the age of 30, are both headed for over 100 wins at Pocono on the season. Tyler Buter, a 25-year-old newcomer to the racing scene at MSPD, has already eclipsed that 100-win plateau and sits a solid 3rd in the drivers’ standings.
Of all the youngsters to make an impact this season though, none can match the performance of Matt Kakaley. Just 23 years old and in only his second season at Pocono, Kakaley fired out of the gate early in the season and hasn’t ever looked back. Barring some unexpected turn of events, Matt will earn the driving championship this season, which, considering the caliber of his driving competition at Pocono, is an outstanding accomplishment.
The names mentioned here only scratch the surface of the driving excellence on display in 2011, but we’ve only got so much room. Suffice it to say that the days where you could look at a Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs racing program and pick out one or two drivers who would dominate the card are long gone. Call it a balance of power, or simply call it the finest group of drivers that we have ever had.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.