Sep 26, 2018 | Racing
September 22-28, 2018
We continue to barrel forward in the 2018 racing season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, closer and closer to the Breeders Crown in late October. With each passing week, the excitement builds just a little bit more. Meanwhile, the overnight action at Pocono continues to impress. A new batch of star performers seems to step forward each week, and these past four racing nights were no different. Let’s hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: INTOVIEW
Respect has been hard-earned for this seven-year-old mare trained by Gilbert Garcia-Owen, but success has been easier to come by for her. After going winless in her first 15 races of the year, Intoview found her stride with a condition pacing win at Harrah’s at the end of August at 7-1. She then came to Pocono and managed to make a late rally at 5-1 to capture a $15,000 to $20,000 claiming handicap on September 17, winning in 1:53 on a sloppy track.
On Monday night, Intoview took on that same claiming handicap group, leaving from post position #4. Yet even with the two consecutive wins, she still went off as the 9-5 second choice. The 7-5 favorite was LK’s Nancy Lee, a horse that Intoview had beaten the week before. LK’s Nancy Lee set the pace on Monday night, while Intoview made an early first-over move. Driver George Napolitano Jr. couldn’t get her immediately to the front, meaning that she was parked around two turns.
As they hit the stretch, the top two were joined by pocket horse Rosy Outlook and second-cover closer Tataria. It seemed for a moment about midway through the straightaway that Intoview was staring to drop back. But then she surged again as the line approached, nipping LK’s Nancy Lee by a head in a hard-fought 1:52.4. That makes three straight wins, including two straight Monday night features, for the mare, who might just start more betting attention to go along with the victories.
Other top pacers this week include: Areyoureadygirl (George Napolitano Jr., Hunter Oakes), a mare who won her second claiming handicap on Monday night in 1:52.3; giving her wins in the last four races that she has been at the Pocono oval; Pembroke Wildcat (Anthony Napolitano, Brittany Robertson), who captured a claiming handicap pace on Saturday night in 1:50, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono; and Sir Pugsley (Pat Berry, Ron Burke), who delivered a win in the Saturday night feature pace in 1:50.2.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: D’ DREAM
One thing we consistently see at Pocono is that horses ship in from all over the place. Sometimes, it’s a case of trainers and owners wanting to test the waters at a top track. Other times, horses are purchased from other locations to come and race for a Pocono trainer. The latter seems to have been the case with D’ Dream, a three-year-old filly. She had been racing in fair races in the state of Ohio, picking up back-to-back wins on that circuit in the month of August.
D’ Dream than arrived at Pocono and immediately paid dividends for new trainer Neal Ehrhart, winning a race on September 16 for her first ever pari-mutuel victory. On Monday night, she was at it again, this time against the non-winners of two fillies and mares trotters. Leaving from post position #1 in a field of nine as a 2-1 second choice, the filly settled in third in the early part of the mile as Fair Chase, the 9-5 favorite, set the early pace.
When an opening presented itself on the back stretch, driver Mike Simons took advantage, sending D’ Dream on a first-over journey. She blew by Fair Chase in a matter of moments and opened up a wide advantage on the rest of the field. It was all academic from there as the filly powered home a 3 ½-length winner in 1:57, a new career-best. Ohio fairs, Pocono bright lights: It’s all the same to D’ Dream. She just keeps on beating everybody in her path.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Boffin (George Napolitano Jr., Anette Lorentzon), who rolled to the victory in Sunday night’s featured condition trot in 1:53.3, the fastest trotting time of the week; Wisenheimer (Steve Smith, Jenny Melander), who rolled to a condition win on Saturday night in 1:55.1; and Jack Rules (Simon Allard, Tony Dinges), who moved up in class on Tuesday night but sill scored his second consecutive win, this one coming in 1:56.2 on an off-track.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ACTRESS HANOVER
The maiden victory for this two-year-old pacing filly will be a memorable one, as she scored in a condition on Tuesday might with Mike Simons driving at 65-1, paying off $140.20 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: KEVIN WALLIS
If you like long shots, Wallis was your man this past weekend, winning three races on Saturday and Sunday, all with horses whose odds were greater than 10-1.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: LOU PENA
Pena, who was once a training champ at Pocono, found some of the old magic on Saturday night, ripping off three victories on the program.
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].
Sep 19, 2018 | Racing
September 15-21, 2018
We are now just about a month away from the 2018 Breeders Crown, to be hosted by none other than The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Excitement is definitely building for that monumental event. But that doesn’t mean everything else stops. Overnight racing at Pocono continues to hurtle forward, with each new week bringing us a fresh batch of excellent performances. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the finest efforts from the past week of racing as we hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: MAROMA BEACH
Stepping up in class is never easy to do, but that’s especially true when you have reached the upper rungs on the condition ladder. At that point, taking a jump into a higher condition means you will be going up against the toughest horses on the grounds. That was the predicament that faced Maroma Beach, a four-year-old gelding trained by Ron Burke. He was coming off a victory gate to wire in his previous start on September 1 in a career-best 1:50.
That was the good news. The bad news was that the earlier victory came against a $12,500 condition pacing group, and on Saturday night, the opposition would come in the form of a $17,500 class. That meant Maroma Beach skipped a class to make the move up and face that field, and that was reflected in the odds, as he went off at 13-1. Still, driver Pat Berry was aggressive, sending the gelding to the lead from an outside post and setting swift fractions.
Throughout the race, Maroma Beach kept a solid advantage, preventing anyone from putting too much pressure on him. In the lane, he was able to dig in and come home strong, finishing a half-length in front of fellow long shot Seel The Deal N in 1:50.4. Maybe Maroma Beach will move up again following that second straight victory. One thing is for sure: He’ll have less people doubting his ability to do it next time around.
Other top pacers this week include: Persistent Threat A (George Napolitano Jr, Gilbert Garcia-Owen), who rolled to a win in a condition pace in 1:49.3, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time this week at Pocono; Bettor N Blue (Eric Carlson, Gilbert Garcia-Owen), whose victory on Saturday night in 1:51.4 was his second straight claiming handicap win at Pocono and his third straight overall; and Eclipse Me N (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who captured Tuesday night’s featured condition pace for mares in 1:51.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: MUSCLE DIAMOND
In the $21,500 featured condition trot on Sunday night, the field was stacked. Among the entries: Fraser Ridge, winner of four consecutive races; What’s The Word, a three-year-old who had barely missed behind the superstar Crystal Fashion in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships; and Dayson, who was coming off his first victory of the year and was the 8-5 betting favorite. Muscle Diamond’s record was propped up by two wins at The Meadowlands, with both of his victories coming in faster times than anybody else in the field could manage.
Muscle Diamond, a six-year-old stallion trained by Brett Bittle, left from post position #4 in a field of seven. He sat back in the pack early and then appeared to be content to follow cover for a while on the back stretch. But driver Tyler Buter coaxed him into action, and with a sudden burst of speed, he went three-wide around Fraser Ridge and kept right on rolling past the pacesetter Dayson. By the time the field reached the three-quarter pole, he had opened up a sizable lead.
Considering the powerful late kick of Muscle Diamond, you knew that lead was going to be tough to overcome. He kept the field at bay all the way around the final turn and through the stretch, winning by three comfortable lengths over Dayson. The win proved that he could handle the 5/8-mile oval at Pocono as well as he could the one-mile jaunt at The Meadowlands. And his winning time of 1:52.2 was the fastest trotting mark of the week at Pocono.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Ostrich Blue Chip, a mare who picked up a condition win on Saturday night in a new career-best mark of 1:52.3; Sciroccco Imsosmart (Tyler Buter, John Butenschoen), who handled a tough condition group on Sunday night in 1:55.2; and Boxing Gloves (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), who stepped up in class to win his second straight condition trot on Tuesday night in 1:55.4, a new career mark.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: CAJOLE HANOVER
With trainer Joe Poliseno in the bike, this condition trotter opened up Sunday night’s racing with a surprise at 22-1, paying off $46.40 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MARCUS MILLER
Known for coaxing home long shots at Pocono, Miller was at it again on Tuesday night, scoring with 19-1 shot Boxing Gloves among his three victories on the evening.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: GILBERT GARCIA-OWEN
Garcia-Owen immediately made an impact this past week after switching to a training role, picking up three victories on the Saturday night program.
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].
Sep 13, 2018 | Racing
Breeders Crown 2018 is quickly approaching, and more events have been added to the terrific event planned at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Eliminations weekend will be Friday, October 19th and Saturday, October 20th. Fans can pick up their program starting at 5:00pm on either night, and exchange the attached coupon for a souvenir Breeders Crown hat. Quantities are limited. The Friday coupon will be valid Friday only. Redemption is 9:00pm – 10:00pm in the lower Grandstand.
In addition, on Friday, 10/19, fans can meet former Philadelphia Eagle Keith Byars in the racing lobby! The football star will stop by the track for autographs and photos starting at 5:30pm, and this is a wristband—only event, with wristbands distributed starting at 2:00pm in a limited supply. Only authorized photos will be signed, and they will be distributed at the signing.
Post Time for both eliminations nights is 7:00pm. There will be plenty of free grandstand, patio, and apron seating for both nights, and fans are encouraged to get here early. Admission and self-parking is free. Various food trucks will be on the apron with plenty of food for the fans to enjoy while watching the great racing action.
Post time for finals night on Saturday, October 27th is 5:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the VIP Tent, which includes a hot and cold buffet, table seating, program, and cash bar, at www.hambletonian.com/2018-breeders-crown-tickets.html. Patio, Grandstand, and apron seating will be open to everyone, and free of charge.
Sep 5, 2018 | Racing
September 1-7, 2018
It was Pennsylvania Championship night this past Sunday evening at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. In the past, we contented ourselves with the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes finals as the centerpiece of this special September card. But this year, the finals of the newly-minted Great Northeast Open series were added to the festivities.
All totaled, the seven championship races on the card put more than $1.3 million on the line. Each race was a thrilling in its way, whether because of the tightness of the finish or the magnificent performance of the winner. Those races also whet our appetites at Pocono for the Breeders Crown races coming in October, since many of Sunday night’s big winners will likely be back once again for that event. Here are the results.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES PACING MARES
Each of the Great Northeast Open Series finals, which carried purses of $100,000, were contested at 1 ¼ miles. And in the night’s first title showdown, it felt like the drivers were feeling each other out to see how each would react. It led to a field that was bunched up at the end of the mile. The 6-5 favorite, Shartin, felt the effects of an outside journey and faded late. But Betterhaveanother, with Matt Kakaley in the bike for Ron Burke, stayed inside the whole mile and then squeezed through a gap in the passing lane for an upset victory at 10-1 in 2:21.3.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES TROTTERS
Homicide Hunter came into the race as the biggest point-getter in the preliminaries and went off as the 3-5 favorite. But even those facts couldn’t anticipate the way that this longtime Pocono favorite would dominate the race. Driver George Napolitano Jr. was able to get away with soft fractions for the first three-quarters of a mile. From there, the six-year-old gelding from the Chris Oakes barn turned off the afterburners. Homicide Hunter left the outstanding field behind to win by 8 ¼ lengths and tripped the timer in 2:22.2, which easily broke a world record for trotters at this distance on a 5/8-mile oval.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES PACERS
Donttellmeagain went off as the 6-5 favorite and controlled matters on the front end with Tim Tetrick. The pace was rated nicely, quick enough to scare off the rabble, but not so fast as to wear down the favorite. Unfortunately, for Donttellmeagain, he couldn’t open up much of a lead on pocket horse and 5-2 second choice Western Joe. And that proved to be crucial near the end of the race, when driver Scott Zeron unleashed Western Joe, a four-year-old stallion trained by Chris Choate, in the passing lane. Western Joe blitzed Donttellmeagain and won it by a neck in 2:20.2.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES
In the first of the $253,000 Sire Stakes finals, Phaetosive was made a decisive 1-2 favorite by the betting public. Winner of four of her six starts as a three-year-old against the stiffest competition imaginable, she held back from the early chase for the lead, as Live Laugh Love set the pace. But driver/trainer Trond Smedshammer found some solid cover on the back stretch in the form of Seviyorum, who came up first-over. In the lane, Smedshammer spun Phaetosive out three wide and she found her best stride, passing the tiring leaders and holding off fellow closer Courtney Hanover by a length in 1:52.3.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES
Kissin In The Sand came into the final having already captured a major stakes race this year at Pocono thanks to her thrilling Lynch win in June. Driver Scott Zeron decided he didn’t want to see Kissin In The Sand parked every step like she was in the Lynch, so he sent her to the front end as the 3-5 favorite. The fractions were swift throughout the mile, yet there were still several horses hanging around as they entered the stretch. As a matter of fact, 31-1 shot Parisian Blue Chip briefly threatened in the passing lane, but Kissin In The Sand, trained by Nancy Johansson, held tight by a half-length in 1:49.3.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS AND GELDINGS
The big favorite was Crystal Fashjion, who was bet at 3-5 thanks to a resume that included the Earl Beal Memorial title earlier this year at Pocono. The Jim Campbell trainee is not the type to leave for the engine, however, especially with a #8 post like he had on Sunday night. So driver Tim Tetrick chose to hold him back while What’s The Word did the work up front. The only problem was that Simon Allard gave What’s The Word a great rate job, and it looked as that horse might steal it on the front end. But Crystal Fashion got in gear just in time following his second-over, three-wide journey, nosing out What’s The Word in 1:52.4.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS AND GELDINGS
The last stakes race of the night turned out to be the tightest. Dorsoduro Hanover, the 1-5 favorite and another standout in the charge of trainer Ron Burke and driver Matt Kakaley, grabbed the early lead and set rapid fractions. He was hounded, however, by 49-1 long shot This Is The Plan, who came at him first-over and refused to relent. Just as Dorsoduro Hanover had dispensed with that challenge in that stretch, he had to hold tight as Hayden Hanover, at 15-1, came charging at him at the very end. The pair hit the line in tandem and had to wait while the judges studied the photo to see that Dorsoduro Hanover prevailed by the scantest of margins in 1:49.4.
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].
Sep 1, 2018 | Racing
Breeders Crown 2018 will be filled with 12 exciting races on one spectacular night at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday, October 27th. The entire night will be an event to remember, with something for everyone, including a souvenir photo booth with proceeds to benefit the Standardbred Retirement Foundation; a red carpet for fans to make their entrance; food trucks; the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame Gift Shop; Bow River Jewelry; Breeders Crown swag stand, mascot Hambo Tony; and much more.
In addition, a HUGE celebrity will be on hand for a special meet and greet! Fans will have the chance to meet and take a selfie with….FOILED AGAIN! Yes, the richest standardbred of all time will be making a special appearance to meet his fans and to raise money for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation and for standardbred aftercare programs at 5:30pm. This event is a wristband-only event, with wristbands distributed in a limited supply starting at 4:00pm on the apron. The appearance will take place on the track apron, closest to the paddock area. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The connections of Foiled Again will be on hand to meet fans as well, and to celebrate his thrilling victory in the 2013 Breeders Crown at Pocono.
Foiled Again will also lead the Post Parade for one of the Breeders Crown races.
Post Time for the 2018 Breeders Crown is 5:30pm. Tickets are now on sale for the VIP Tent at https://www.hambletonian.com/2018-breeders-crown-tickets.html. Additional seating and dining options will be available at a future date.
Aug 29, 2018 | Racing
August 25-31, 2018
Next week in this space we shall be reviewing everything that went on during an outstanding program of championship races scheduled for this coming Sunday, September 2. Both the three-year-old Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships and the finals of the Great Northeastern Open Series will be taking place at Pocono on that evening. Until then, here are some Weekly Awards highlighting the best of the best from the previous four racing nights.
PACER OF THE WEEK: BIG CITY BETTY
Sometimes a horse can get stuck in a rut where it constantly is right in the mix but can’t seem to break through with a big victory. Such was the case for this four-year-old mare trained by Steve Salerno. She started the year with in-the-money finishes in six of her first nine races. Included among those were back-to-back seconds in a pair of $17,000 condition paces for distaff horses four years and under in the month of July.
It seemed as though she was stuck on second. Big City Betty then took nearly a month-and-a-half off, returning on August 17 without a qualifier to battle that $17,000 group again. Only that time out she cured her second-itis, putting together an impressive first-over brush to pick up her first victory of the year in 1:52.3. She was back at it against that grouping on Sunday night, this time going off as a 6-5 betting favorite with an inside post in a field of eight.
Eric Carlson was a new set of hands for the mare, and he guided her into a comfortable spot in the pocket behind pacesetting Jewels Forreal. That’s where she bided her time until the stretch, when Carlson guided her off the cover to the outside. Big City Betty had enough momentum to plow right on by for the win in 1:52.1, which set a new career mark. Now that she has a taste for winning, this mare might go on a serious roll.
Other top pacers include: Rodeo Rock (Anthony Napolitano, Robert Cleary), who followed up a win at Harrah’s with a victory in Saturday night’s featured condition pace in 1:50.3; Ali (Pat LaChance), who managed a third straight win at a third different track by winning a condition pace at Pocono on Sunday night in a career-best 1:50.3; and YS Lotus (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who scored a condition win on Saturday night in 1:50.1, the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: OPTIMIST BLUE CHIP
This four-year-old gelding from the barn of trainer Carl Conte Jr. had been struggling throughout the summer facing some of the toughest condition trotters at Yonkers. Needing the confidence booster, he was slotted in the lowest condition group at Pocono on August 20. With Matt Kakaley in the bike, Optimist Blue Chip put together a confident front-trotting victory despite an outside post in 1:57.2. With that out of the way, it was time to move back up the ladder.
On Monday night, the gelding faced off against an $11,000 condition group. Even with the move up in class, the bettors sensed his potential and made him the 6-5 favorite. Unlike in his previous start, however, Optimist Blue Chip started a bit slowly. Instead, Winwood Scout surged to the front, leaving the favorite to grab a spot in the outer flow and try to come from behind. He found cover behind Idle Bones N and began to get closer to the lead with a second-over journey.
As Winwood Scout began to struggle, Idle Bones N moved onto the lead. But that mare was then ripe for the picking, as Kakaley spun Optimist Blue Chip off the cover and let him do his thing. The gelding powered by and managed the victory, his second consecutive. His winning time of 1:54.2 was an impressive one for the condition, which means that he might just be able to move up even more and still keep his newly-minted winning streak alive.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Jackie’s Jim (Marcus Miller, Neal Ehrhart), a three-year-old gelding who moved up following his maiden win to capture a second straight condition win on Monday night in 1:56.4, a new career mark; Crazshana (George Napolitano Jr., Jeffrey Bamond Jr.), who handled a tough condition group on Saturday night and did so in a sharp 1:52.4; and Muscle Fashion (Fern Paquet Jr., Antonella Galie), who toughed out a condition win on Tuesday night in a career-best 1:55.4.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ANDOVERS ASSET
This two-year-old trotter driven by Anthony Napolitano, stayed flat, worked out a trip, and rallied for a condition win on Monday night at 20-1, paying off $43.40 on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MATT KAKALEY
Kakaley had his A-game working in his Pocono appearances this week, as he shared driving honors on both Sunday (three wins) and Monday (four wins.)
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ANDREW HARRIS
Harris made the most of his two Monday night starters, as both trotter Blue And Bold and pacer You Got Trumped came away with condition victories.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
