Apr 24, 2019 | Racing
April 20-26, 2019
Over the past month we’ve been enjoying the Bobby Weiss racing series at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Well, the preliminary legs of the series have come to an end and the finals have begun taking place, each for a purse of $30,000. Two of those finals are still to come, but the winners of the two Bobby Weiss championship races held this past week earn the distinction of Horses of the Week in this edition of the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: CARDIFF
In the Bobby Weiss final on Monday for pacing fillies and mares, Cardiff, despite a win and two places in the Series, was an 11-1 shot. That’s because most of the betting attention went to Ghosttothepost and Girl’s Got Rhythm, who entered the final a perfect 5 for 5 between in them in the previous legs. Cardiff, as a matter of fact, had come up short behind Ghosttothepost in her previous two races, so it was understandable perhaps that the Rene Allard trainee was somewhat overlooked at the windows.
Girl’s Got Rhythm was the aggressor in the final, bolting out to the engine despite having the #9 post and setting nasty fractions. Ghosttothepost, who went off as the 2-5 favorite, settled in the pocket. As for Cardiff, who left from post #8, he sat mid-pack early. But driver Simon Allard didn’t allow him to dawdle for long, sending him first-over after the leader before he reached the clubhouse turn. He was still parked out as they rounded the final turn and hadn’t yet corralled Girl’s Got Rhythm.
In the stretch, Cardiff found another burst of energy while Girl’s Got Rhythm struggled to stay afloat and Ghosttothepost took his shot in the passing lane. Despite having the inferior trip, Cardiff outpaced the other two and came out on top by a length-and-a-half over Ghosttothepost, with Girl’s Got Rhythm settling for 3rd. When it counted, Cardiff came up with a career-best 1:51:1 mile, all the more impressive for the tough journey he needed to take and the tough competition he needed to overcome.
Other top pacers this week include: Soho Wallstreet A (Pat Berry, Scott DiDomenico), who captured his second straight Saturday night condition feature with a win this past weekend in 1:50:2, which was also the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono; Bunkndunk (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who switched barns and captured his second straight claiming win on Saturday night, this one in 1:51:4; and Pennys Dragon (Matt Kakaley, Sean Smithpeters), a three-year-old filly who pulled off her second straight upset condition victory on Monday, winning in a career-best 1:53:4.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TOWN HALL JUSTICE
On Tuesday, it was time for the fillies and mares trotting division of the Weiss series to contest their final, and the top two choices on the board were Fade Into You, winner of two of three preliminary legs, and Spring In Paris, who swept the three preliminaries. Town Hall Justice wasn’t close in her first two legs of the series, but then picked up a confidence-building win in the final preliminary in 1:56:4 heading into the final.
That win coincided with her joining the Rene Allard barn, and you know from above that Rene and brother Simon Allard won with Cardiff in the first Weiss final in upset fashion. In this mile, Town Hall Justice found the pocket after leaving from post position #3 in the nine-horse field. The four-year-mare watched as Run Lindy Run cut out the first half-mile in fast fractions, then quickly grabbed the lead at the top of the back stretch.
From there both Fade Into You and Spring In Paris took their best shots at the leader. But Town Hall Justice, at 7-1, finished strong, holding off Fade Into You by a length, with Spring In Paris back in 3rd. The mare shattered her previous career-best in 1:53:4, and scored at a nice price of 7-1. 2 for 2 since hooking up with the Allards, Town Hall Justice looks poised for a completer career rejuvenation. Meanwhile, Simon and Rene Allard solidified their reputations as guys who step up their games for the biggest races.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Two AM (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who captured the Sunday night featured condition trot in 1:53:2, which stood up as the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr., Gareth Dowse) who came out firing in her first start of the year on Sunday night, winning a condition trot in a career-best 1:53:4, which was the fastest trotting time put up by a three-year-old filly in all of North America this year; and Hill Of A Horse (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), who overcame a #9 post to score his second straight condition win on Tuesday, this one coming in 1:54:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: A BETTOR BEACH
This pacer made his maiden victory an unforgettable one, scoring on Monday with Matt Kakaley driving at 42-1, paying off $86.20 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: TYLER BUTER
Tyler Buter didn’t rest on his laurels after scoring his 3,000th career win aboard Daddy Let Me Drive on Sunday night, instead winning two more that evening, including the feature with Two AM.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: RENE ALLARD
Not only did he win both of the Weiss finals, but the perennial Pocono leading trainer also took over the lead in the training wins standings for 2019 with six victories on the week.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Apr 17, 2019 | Racing
April 13-19, 2019
We enjoyed quite the busy week of racing action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. High winds and slanting rains, Bobby Weiss Series action heating up, the fastest pacing time of the young season, and a 70-1 shot winning: All of it was part of the rich tapestry. Let’s take a look back at all the wildness by handing out some Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: TURBO HILL
In the three-and-four-year-old male pacers division of the Bobby Weiss series, it’s hard to argue against this one as the class of the group. Yet he faced a situation on Saturday night where he wasn’t favored in one of the races in the series. Hard to believe, considering that he came into the race on a five-race winning streak, two of which came at Pocono, and with a career record of seven wins in eight races for trainer and driver Hunter Oakes.
Granted, Turbo Hill was a pretty prohibitive second choice at 4-5. Yet Sports Legend, who had won of three of four coming in, including a division of the Weiss in the first leg of the series, went off as the 3-5 choice. Leaving from post position #3 in a field of seven, it was Turbo Hill who got the jump, taking the lead over Sports Legend on the front stretch. And, with no pressure on the outside, Oakes was able to rate the pace in his horse’s favor.
At the top of the stretch, the race was pretty much a two-horse dance between the top two choices. Even though Sports Legend was attached to Turbo Hill at the top of the stretch, he couldn’t gain through the lane. Instead, Turbo Hill, a four-year-old stallion, solidified his lead and came home a winner in a swift 1:51:2, 1 ¼ lengths in front of Sports Legend. These two might meet again in the final a few weeks hence, but, for now, Turbo Hill owns bragging rights.
Other top pacers this week include: Hitman Hill (Hunter Oakes, Chris Oakes), who tore it up for a condition victory on Saturday night in 1:50:1, the fastest pacing time of the season to date at Pocono; Soho Wallstreet A (Pat Berry, Scott DiDomenico), who handled a top field in Saturday night’s featured condition pace in 1:50:3; and Major Bucks (Anthony Napolitano, William Adamczyk), who rose up the condition ladder to score his second straight win on Saturday night, this one coming in 1:51:3.
TROTTEER OF THE WEEK: HANKS TANK
Sunday night brought our first off-track of the season. Heavy winds battered the horses and slanting rain poured over the track, making it a night that wasn’t for the faint of heart. It also benefitted those who were able to get to the early lead, as horses coming from off the pace struggled to make up ground all night long. Hanks Tank, therefore, didn’t seem to mind the conditions at all, as they very much suited his racing style.
A six-year-old gelding trained by Rob Harmon, Hanks Tank was coming off a win in his previous start on April 7 in 1:55:3. He won that race on the front end, and, with Jim Morrill Jr. in the bike, attempted the same kind of trip on Sunday night as he moved up in class to face the $11,000 condition group. The gelding went off as the 9-2 second choice, but he was the one sitting on the engine after winning an early speed duel with Very Very Fast.
Hanks Tank then opened up a sizable advantage on the back stretch, as the rest of the field labored to get close to him. When the stretch arrived, Morrill no longer had to ask anything of his horse, and Hanks Tank was able to coast home a comfortable two-length victor. His second straight win came in a time of 1:56, which wasn’t bad at all considering the sloppy track. Hanks Tank seems built for the weather, whatever it might be, when his form is as fine as it is right now.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Fire’N Woodshed (Eric Carlson, Kerry Welty), who moved to two-for-two in his career by winning a second straight condition win at Pocono on Monday, matching his debut’s winning time of 1:56:3 in the process; Tyson (Andrew McCarthy, Edwin Gannon Jr.), who picked up his first win of the year in Sunday night’s featured condition trot, posting a 1:55:1 mile in the slop; and Thisguyisonfire (Andrew McCarthy, Christopher Lakata), who followed up a win at Chester by scoring a condition victory on Sunday night in 1:54:3 in the slop.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: LEAN ON YOU
This condition pacer avoided trouble caused by a breaking horse in front of him on Saturday night and, with Jim Taggart Jr. in the bike, won at 70-1, paying off $143.40 for a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: SIMON ALLARD
Simon is once again perched high in the drivers’ standings at Pocono, and this week was a big one for him, with multiple wins on each card and a four-bagger on Monday.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: JOSE GODINEZ
Godinez wasted no time getting in the groove on Monday afternoon, sweeping the early Daily Double with pacers Don’tcallmefrancis and Hot Seat.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Apr 11, 2019 | Racing
April 6-12, 2019
Our second full week of racing for the 2019 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono witnessed the Bobby Weiss late closer series getting into full gear. For the next month or so, three and four-year-old horses of varying genders and gaits will be battling it out to make the finals of that series, which go for a hefty purse. One of those Weiss horses actually grabs Trotter of the Week honors this week, which you’ll discover as you read on for this edition of the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: GILLYS BOY
In Saturday night’s featured condition pace, with a purse of $21,500, this five-year-old gelding trained by Ron Burke went off as a 6-1 third choice despite coming in on a two-race winning streak. That was probably because those two wins, one at the Meadowlands and one at Pocono on March 16 in 1:52:2, both came against slightly lesser competition. Many of the other horses in the field on Saturday night were either veterans of the class or were coming from similarly stiff competition at other venues.
Gillys Boy, as he did in those two wins in a row, shot out of the gate quickly, grabbing the lead from post position #5 in the field of nine. But unlike those previous two starts, the gelding had to cede the lead to someone else. Stars Align A, the even-money favorite, swooped by him as they rounded the first turn. Gillys Boy had to play the waiting game, taking his chance that he’d be able to outpace the favorite in the lane.
When they came to top of the stretch, it was still Stars Align A and Gillys Boy sitting first and second, respectively. That’s when driver Anthony Napolitano called on a little bit more from Gillys Boy and he stormed past the favorite to win it by a half-length in 1:50:3. That makes three straight wins, with the latest win coming in a career-best time against the toughest competition on the grounds, meaning Gillys Boy has been the man so far in the Pocono meet.
Other top pacers this week include: Havefaithinme N (Jim Morrill Jr., Jose Godinez), who scored a condition victory on Saturday night in 1:50:2, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time at Pocono so far in 2019; River Runs Deep (Anthony Napolitano, Marta Piotrow), who switched barns and moved up in class but still scored his third claiming win in a row on Saturday night, scoring in 1:53; and Turbo Hill (Hunter Oakes driver and trainer), who pushed his winning streak to five, two of which have come at Pocono, after handling a division of the Bobby Weiss series for male pacers on Saturday night in 1:54:2.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: MY LINDY WINNER
You can’t hold it against a horse if the competition against it isn’t up to snuff on a given week. That was the case for My Lindy Winner in his race on Sunday night. Considering that it was the first leg of the Bobby Weiss series for male trotters, you might have expected a pretty competitive group. But the way the draw worked out, he ended up with one of the softest fields against him. Since he was probably the divisional favorite to start, that meant he would be the heavy favorite.
After all, My Lindy Winner, a four-year-old stallion trained by Rob Harmon, came into the race on a three-race winning streak, with each victory more impressive than the one before. His streak started with a win at the Meadowlands, then continued when he posted a career-best mile in a condition victory at Pocono in 1:55:1. On March 28, he overcame an early break of stride to gut out a win at Yonkers. All of those took a lot more effort than he would need on Sunday night.
Facing just four other competitors after two horses were scratched, My Lindy Winner, a 1-9 favorite with Jim Morrill Jr. in the bike, quickly grabbed the lead past the quarter-pole. From there, he was never threatened, coasting to a six-length victory in an unhurried 1:57. The competition will almost certainly be tougher from this point forward. But My Lindy Winner is racing with such confidence right now that it might not matter who is up against him.
Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Starsaboveallerage (Anthony Napolitano, Allen Sisco), who scored a condition trotting win on Sunday night in 1:54:4, the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Archway (George Napolitano Jr, Aaron Lambert), who followed up his maiden victory at Freehold with an easy condition victory on Monday afternoon in a career-best 1:56:4; and Spring In Paris (Andrew McCarthy, Steven LeBlanc), whose victory in 1:57:4 in the second leg of the Bobby Weiss series for distaff trotters on Tuesday was her second straight in the series and her third in a row to start the season.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ONE MORE MIRACLE
Maybe “miracle” is too strong a word, but this pacer driven by Billy Mann certainly conjured up a surprise with a victory in a claimer on Sunday night at 14-1, paying off $31.80 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: JIM MORRILL JR
Morrill doesn’t usually stick around for the whole meet at Pocono, but he does damage while he’s here, as evidenced by three straight cards of multiple driving victories this past week.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: MARTA PIOTROW
Piotrow made the most of her two starts on Saturday night, winning with claimers River Runs Deep and JK Pridenjoy, both of whom were brand new to her barn.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Apr 3, 2019 | Racing
March 30-April 5, 2019
Now that we are finally up and running four racing days/nights a week, we can hand out our first edition of the Weekly Awards. Apologies to Epaulette A, whose pacing performances surely would have garnered an award or two in the first two weeks of racing when we were still on a partial schedule here at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. But we’re on full-go now, so let’s hand out those awards to some deserving honorees.
PACER OF THE WEEK: ROCKEYED OPTIMIST
We saw a year ago how McWicked, a horse who had largely fallen off the radar, returned to his former glory with a stellar season. Rockeyed Optimist might not reach those heights, but his career arc is travelling a similar path. Once one of the fastest pacers in the game, the right-year-old gelding was lightly raced and didn’t do much in 2017, winning just two out of 14 races. But he seems to be coming back to something near his old form, having already matched his 2018 win total the past few weeks.
On March 23, he fired out to an early lead and scored a victory in a $12,500 condition pace at Pocono in 1:51:1. On Saturday might, the Jake Leamon trainee left from post position #3 in a field of eight. Even though he was stepping up a couple notches to the $17,500 level, he still went off as the 2-5 favorite. Fans remember what this horse can do, and they bet him as such.
Rockeyed Optimist hardly had an easy time of it. After swooping to the lead around the first turn, he was nicely rated by driver Mitchell Cushing. That rate job was important, because Black Chevron provided a stern challenge with a strong first-over move. But the veteran proved up to the task late, holding off Black Chevron by three-quarters of a length in 1:52:1. It should be fun to watch just how close he gets to his former self before this hot stretch is complete.
Other top pacers this week include: River Runs Deep (Jim Morrill Jr, Peter Pellegrino), who moved up in class Saturday night to capture his second straight claiming race, this one in a career-best time of 1:52:4; A And C Artist (George Napolitano Jr, Matthew Adamczyk), who captured his second straight claimer on Sunday night in 1:55:1; and Eddard Hanover (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), winner of Saturday night’s featured condition pace in 1:53:1.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: PAPPY GO GO
Pappy Go Go had to be burning with anger following his race at Pocono on March 23. In that race, he nearly went gate-to-wire from a #9 post in a $14,000 condition trot. But the effort it took to get to the lead seemed to get the better of him, as he was handled in the stretch, ending up second. On Saturday night, he faced off against the same group, this time from a #2 post. And the results were markedly different, as he put on one of the most impressive trotting performances of 2019.
In the race Saturday, Pappy Go Go settled third early while Maximuscle cut out an aggressive pace. On the back stretch, driver George Napolitano Jr. tipped Pappy Go Go to the outside on the back stretch, and 1-5 race favorite went by Maximuscle in a flash. But he didn’t stop there. The five-year-old gelding kept opening up the lead and quickening the pace until the rest of the field was flailing behind him.
From there, it was only a matter of how much the margin would be and how fast the final time. The answers were eye-popping: Pappy Go Go, trained by Andrew Harris came home 12 ¾ lengths in front, the largest margin at Pocono so far in the meet, while his winning time of 1:52 was not only a career best and the tops at Pocono in the meet, but it was also the fastest trot posted this year in North America. I guess you could say that Pappy Go Go took out his frustration in very productive fashion.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Muscle Fashion (Jim Morrill Jr., Antonella Galie), who scored his second straight condition win on Sunday night, getting it done in 1:56:1; Winning Shadow (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who won Sunday night’s featured condition trot in 1:55:1; and Run Lindy Run (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who posted the fastest time among winners in the distaff trotting group of the Bobby Weiss series on Tuesday with a victory in 1:56:4.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: BASS PLAYER
This claiming pacer struck all the right notes on Saturday night, springing an upset with Eric Carlson in the bike at 26-1, paying off $55.80 to win on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: TYLER BUTER
Buter is off to an excellent start to begin the 2019 meet, picking off where he left off at the end of last year, and he chalked up a multiple wins on Sunday and Monday to show his prowess.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ROB HARMON
Harmon followed up a pair of training wins on Sunday night with a victory on Monday with 20-1 shot Carson Hill.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Mar 13, 2019 | Racing
The 2019 harness racing season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono begins this Saturday night (May 16), as the first of 134 cards planned for the northeast Pennsylvania 5/8-mile oval contains 14 races, with a scheduled first post of 7 p.m.
The two horsemen who have been dominant in the trainers and drivers rankings at Pocono over the last few seasons, driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Rene Allard, look likely to get off to a fast start again this season, at least by a look at the past performances for opening night.
Napolitano, going for his eighth straight year of having the most sulky success at The Downs, was named on no fewer than 40 of Saturday’s 121 entrants – nearly one in three – and is slated to compete in every race. In three races he was put down on five horses and in three more he was listed on four entrants, so seeing which horse George decides to drive in those contests can go a long way in helping a player’s handicapping take a turn towards the profitable.
Allard, leading trainer at Pocono in five of the last six years, has eight entrants scattered throughout the program. Any regular Pocono player knows that Team Allard – Rene and driver/brother Simon – are often very tough when sending out a new acquisition to the barn, and amazingly, in every one of Saturday night’s five claiming contests, a horse will debuting for the Allards! And in their last 25 starts combined (the last five races of each of the quintet), they show 12 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds before moving into their new home!
One such new member of Team Allard is Ruffle Up, who draws the rail in a field of nine in the top purse event on the card, a $20,000 contest for claimers valued between $30,000 and $35,000. Allard Racing Inc. and co-owner Earl Hill Jr. took the winner of over $200,000 after he recently posted two wins and a second in conditioned company at The Meadows, and he is entered back in for his $30,000 price of claim for the Pocono inaugural.
Ruffle Up may make good use of his early speed from the rail – but so may Polak A, an 11-year-old winner of $730,000 who will start just to the right of Ruffle Up for trainer Hunter Oakes, last year’s percentage champion in the Pocono training ranks. Polak A shows winning in Open company at Pompano Park, but the combined factors of a two-month absence and his adjusting to northern climes after wintering in Florida may weigh in the mind of George Napolitano Jr. – who is named on the horse but also on four others, with good paper credentials, in the tenth race headliner.
The top conditioned pace of the evening comes a race later, with $17,500 on the line for eight starters in race 11. One of three horses George Napolitano Jr. is listed on is Epaulette A (post two), another Hunter Oakes trainee and another Florida climatechanger, but this one at least does have one start under his girth since a recent minivacation. The Allards are represented by Maxdaddy Blue Chip (post six), who took his lifetime mark of 1:49.1 here at Pocono in 2017, and who would break the $250,000 plateau in lifetime earnings with a good finish in this tough grouping.
After Saturday, Pocono will next race on Tuesday (the 19th); the following week, the trotters and pacers will go over the red surface on Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday; and the week after that (March 30-April 2), Pocono will shift to its regular seasonal racing schedule of Saturday through Tuesday. Post times for 2019 will be 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, looking to take advantage of the “simulcast bridge” gap between the end of daytime and nighttime simulcast cards.
Feb 26, 2019 | Racing
Spring is just around the corner, and the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono is getting the stable area ready for our valued horsemen, with the gates officially opening for the 54th season on Friday, March 1, 2019 at 7:30a.m. The weather may be cold, but soon horses will be on the track, getting ready for the season!
The first Qualifiers of the season are Tuesday, March 5th; Thursday, March 7th; and Wednesday, March 13th.
Racing opens for the season at the renowned 5/8 mile track on Saturday, March 16th, and continues in March on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with no racing on Sunday, March 17th. In April, the track moves to the regular schedule of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. Saturday and Sunday post is 7:00pm, and Monday and Tuesday is 4:00pm.
