Nov 29, 2016 | Entertainment, General News, Keystone Grand Ballroom
Friday, February 3rd in the Keystone Grand Ballroom 
WILKES-BARRE, PA (November 29, 2016) – Mohegan Sun Pocono is excited to announce Dwight Yoakam coming to the Keystone Grand Ballroom on Friday, February 3rd!
Ticket prices start at $29.00 and will go on sale on Friday, December 2nd at 10:00am through Ticketmaster.com. Ticketmaster customers may purchase tickets by logging on to ticketmaster.com or calling Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number at 1.800.745.3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase, free of service fees, at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office.
Dwight Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner. He has 12 gold albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, with five of those albums topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart, and another 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted, with 14 peaking in the Top 10. He received the “Artist of the Year” award at the 2013 Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony, the most prestigious award offered by the organization. On September 23rd, Yoakam released his first ever Bluegrass album Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars on Sugar Hill Records. Featuring a band of Bluegrass luminaries, this album boasts a collection of reinterpreted favorites from his catalogue, as well as a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Produced by nine-time Grammy winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”), and Yoakam himself, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, this album reflects the love for Bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky, and that has inspired him for many years thereafter. In 2015, Yoakam released his latest album Second Hand Heart on Warner/Reprise records, the follow up to his critically-acclaimed album 3 Pears. In addition to his musical career, Yoakam is a formidable film and television actor, capable of seamlessly melting into his roles, and impressively standing toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians over the course of his storied and successful acting career, including Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, and Matthew McConaughey.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
Nov 23, 2016 | Entertainment, Food & Beverage, General News, Holiday, Keystone Grand Ballroom
Join us to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
WILKES-BARRE, PA (November 23, 2016) – Mohegan Sun Pocono is the place to be this Christmas and New Year’s Eve! With festivities throughout the day, there is something for everyone with live music, holiday dining specials, champagne toasts and so much more. Join us as we spread Christmas cheer and countdown to 2017!
Christmas Specials
After 4:00pm on Christmas Eve and all day on Christmas Day, enjoy Rustic Kitchen’s special holiday menu including seafood bisque to start, an appetizer of clams casino or crab and artichoke salad, and for an entrée, the choice of crab stuffed haddock with lemon beurre blanc, fresh herb seared seabass with tomato cous cous and filet mignon with shrimp scampi sauce.
At Betty and Joe’s, enjoy a medium coffee for $1.00 with a purchase of a slice of pie or cake.
Ben and Jerry’s will offer free sprinkles with a purchase of any ice cream.
At Wetzel’s Pretzels, purchase an almond bitz and receive free sweet glaze dip.
New Year’s Eve 2017
Countdown to 2017! Start the celebrations early and enjoy the Noon Year’s Eve countdown and complimentary toast at Noon.
Before the clock strikes Midnight, come ring in the New Year at Bash in the Ballroom in the Keystone Grand Ballroom from 10:00pm to 1:00am! No admission necessary, dance the year away to Who’s Bad – a tribute to Michael Jackson. In addition, don’t miss the champagne toast with party favors at Midnight on the casino floor.
* Guests Must Be 21 Years Old To Enter This Event.
Live music will also be available at other venues: Start your night listening to Ruth’s Chris Jazz trio at Ruth’s Chris Steak House from 6:30pm to 12:30am, at 9:00pm hang out with Gerald Demarco at Elixir or have a laugh with Stephanie Peters at Wise Crackers Comedy Club, party on with Shorty Long and The Jersey Horns from 9:30pm to 1:30am at Breakers and continue the celebration with Grace’s Downfall at Bar Louie from 10:00pm to 1:30am.
The celebrations continue with restaurants offering specials throughout the day and night! Enjoy delicious deals including:
New Year’s Eve:
Rustic Kitchen will feature lobster bisque, colossal crab cocktail, 12 oz. lobster tail with drawn butter, beef wellington with port demi glaze and seafood ravioli with saffron cream sauce.
At Betty and Joe’s, purchase any featured pastry and receive a medium coffee for $1.00.
Ben and Jerry’s will offer free sprinkles with any ice cream purchase.
At Wetzel’s Pretzels, purchase an almond bitz and receive free sweet glaze dip.
New Year’s Day:
Start the New Year with Betty & Joe’s featured items!
At Ben and Jerry’s, purchase any ice cream and receive free sprinkles.
Wetzel’s Pretzels will offer free sweet glaze dip with a purchase of almond bitz.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
Nov 16, 2016 | Racing
2016 Season Review
Well, it’s about time to wrap up the 2016 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. At press time, there are still a few more nights of racing until we officially wrap things up on November 26, but, for all intents and purposes, this campaign is essentially in the rear-view mirror.
If it seems like the time passes quickly within a single season, imagine my surprise when I was alerted that this month marked the tenth anniversary since Mohegan Sun came aboard to revitalize the racing product at Pocono. In the past decade, we have transformed from just another run-of-the-mill track into one of the finest harness racing establishments in the entire world. Without Mohegan Sun’s commitment to racing, none of that would have been possible.
That commitment, combined with the outstanding work of those folks who take care of our racing surface, is responsible for the fact that we have one of the fastest tracks in the entire country. The Pocono faithful were lucky to witness a lot of that speed in 2016. Five world records were either set or matched at MSPD in 2016. And some of the record-setters turned out to be among the biggest superstars in the sport, including Betting Line, Freaky Feet Pete, and Always B Miki.
Then there were the horses who made Pocono more of a home rather than just an occasional destination. The best of those have been honored with horses of the year awards. Our Pacer of the Year, Keystone Velocity, overcame the fact that he sat out all of last season to put up more sub-1:50 victories than anyone else on the grounds. Our trotter of the year, Wilberforce, managed to move up the ladder from condition trots against mostly younger horses to facing off against the featured trotters on the grounds, winning all the way. And our claimer of the year, McCedes, demonstrated that age is nothing but a number, gliding through the claiming ranks as an 11-year-old to distinguish himself time again in the 2016 meet. Their exploits, along with the performances of so many other Pocono regulars, will not soon be forgotten.
Of course, the horses need some guidance to perform their amazing feats, and this year two horsemen stood above all. Although at press time there was still a slight chance that they could get caught in the percentage categories, it appears that driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes will sweep the year-end honors for wins and percentage. Both have been Pocono mainstays for quite some time, but never before have they combined talents to dominate the racing at the track as they did in this past meet. Several other drivers and trainers were serious forces on the Pocono scene this season, but the dynamic duo of Napolitano and Oakes were a notch above the rest.
It’s impossible to sum up all of the exploits of the horses and people who made the 2016 meet so special at Pocono. I write this column week in and week out, and even on that micro level I found myself unable to detail all of the fantastic performances, thrilling upsets, and heart-pounding excitement that I was lucky enough to witness from my perfect view in the announcer’s booth. It was a special season, for sure. Still, with the momentum we’ve built at MSPD, I have a feeling we’ll be able to operate at the same level and maybe even higher for the foreseeable future. I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store.
Before I sign off for the season, I’d like to thank all of the horses, horsemen and horsewomen for their wonderful efforts this year. I’d also like to thank my co-workers, who do so much to bring you such an excellent product night after night. As always, the fans make Pocono what it is now and what is always has been; thanks so much to you all for reading these columns and, of course, for coming out and supporting racing.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t send out a special thanks to Terri Phalen. Terri is responsible for putting these articles in the programs, as well as about a million other tasks in her capacity as Program Director/Clerk of Course. Terri is stepping away from full-time work at Pocono to pursue other exploits. To say she will be missed by the entire Pocono community is obvious to anyone who knows her work ethic; to say that she’ll be missed by yours truly for her patience, geniality, and friendship in the years that I’ve worked as track announcer is the understatement of the year.
That’s going to do it for these articles for 2016. I hope you all have a wonderful winter, and I look forward to seeing you all again in the spring. We’ll see you at the track.
Nov 15, 2016 | General News, Holiday
Celebrate the season on November 30th!
WHAT:
Join us for a special evening of family fun as we celebrating the lighting of our holiday tree!
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 30th
Main Casino Entrance
Festivities begin at 6:00pm
IN DETAIL:
Join Mohegan Sun Pocono for a holiday celebration like no other on Wednesday, November 30th. Enjoy the holiday spirit and tradition of Christmas with activities that the whole family will love! This remarkable night of Christmas cheer will include complimentary cocoa and cookies, an appearance by Santa and TUX from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, a bonfire, fantastic performances by our choir and the Ballet Northeast who will perform excerpts from the Nutcracker. Plus, stop by our valet lobby to hear music from students in the NEPA Philharmonic mentor program!
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (
1.888.946.4672) or visiting our
website. Connect with us on
Facebook, follow us on
Twitter or
Instagram, download our
app and view us on
YouTube.
Nov 10, 2016 | General News, Keystone Grand Ballroom
WHAT:
Join us for a casting call for the CBS reality show Survivor on Tuesday, December 20th at Mohegan Sun Pocono!
WHEN/WHERE:
Tuesday, December 20th
10:00am to 2:00pm – Casting call for Survivor
*Note: Guests may not line up prior to 8:00am
Keystone Grand Ballroom at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Registration in Salon CDE, Keystone Grand Ballroom
Auditions in Salon F, Keystone Grand Ballroom
IN DETAIL:
Do you have what it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast? You’ll have a chance to find out when CBS’s Survivor holds an open casting call at Mohegan Sun Pocono’s Keystone Grand Ballroom on Tuesday, December 20th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Don’t miss your chance to become a castaway in the running for $1 million dollars!
*Must be 21 years of age or older to participate in the casting call.
Eligibility requirements and applications are available at:
http://www.pahomepage.com/survivor-casting-call-2016.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
Nov 7, 2016 | Food & Beverage, General News, Holiday
Holiday dining specials Thursday, November 24th
WILKES-BARRE, PA (November 7, 2016) – Celebrate this Thanksgiving with Mohegan Sun Pocono and be thankful for no cooking and cleaning! On November 24th, come to Mohegan Sun Pocono to feast on delicious dining options at your favorite restaurants including Rustic Kitchen Bistro and Bar, Timbers Buffet, Betty and Joe’s, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Ben and Jerry’s!
The award-winning Italian Mediterranean-influenced Rustic Kitchen Bistro and Bar will offer a special holiday menu including:
- Creamy corn and shrimp soup
- Pear salad with craisins, gorgonzola, spiced walnuts and white balsamic vinaigrette
- Roasted chicken ravioli with light tomato sauce
- Turkey dinner featuring a traditional turkey with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes carrots and cranberry relish
Enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving meal that the whole family will love at Timbers Buffet. Timbers Buffet will feature traditional holiday favorites and unique specialties including:
- Apple rosemary baked chicken
- Cherry bourbon glazed ham
- Yukon gold mashed potatoes
- Sweet potato mashed with caramel and marshmallow topping
- Pa Dutch style stuffing
- Hamburger stuffing
- Oven roasted turkey breast and turkey thighs
- Garlic herb breadstick
- Herb roasted potatoes and apple cider scented Brussel sprouts with applewood smoked bacon
- Traditional turkey giblet gravy
- Cranberry sauce
- Baked potatoes
- Cinnamon sugar dusted sweet potatoes
- Dessert: Rum raisin bread pudding, coconut cream panna cotta, pumpkin cheesecake brownies, cous cous mango mousse, pumpkin roll and shoe fly pie
Relax at the end of the day and enjoy a treat at Betty and Joe’s inside the Food Court. Purchase a slice of pumpkin pie and receive a hot or cold apple cider for 50% off.
Wetzel’s Pretzels also has a special Thanksgiving Day offer! Purchase an almond bitz and receive a free sweet glaze dip.
Or, if you’re feeling something cooler, visit Ben and Jerry’s inside the Food Court and purchase any ice cream to receive free sprinkles.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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Nov 2, 2016 | Racing
October 29-November 4, 2016
We are approaching the end of the racing season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Horses around the country are also nearing the end of their respective campaigns, especially in the East where many horsemen choose to let their horses sit out the winter months and wait for the warm weather to return.
It’s why the Breeders Crown championships are held in October, since that’s as good a time as any to culminate the harness racing season. We at Pocono have been lucky enough to hold this prestigious event twice, and it was an enduring thrill to be a part of it. This year’s Breeders Crown was hosted by our good friends at The Meadowlands, and what these races proved once again is that the road to a championship often goes through Pocono.
Of the twelve horses who captured titles last Friday and Saturday night at The Big M, seven raced at least once at Pocono this season. Many captured big stakes victories on our oval; others hadn’t quite peaked while they were at MSPD but saved the best for last in their racing seasons. I thought it would be fun, as we start to wrap up our own season, to look back at the exploits of the Breeders Crown champs who made their way to Pocono this past meet.
Some of the names are obvious. Few will forget Always B Miki’s first face-off with Wiggle It Jiggleit and Freaky Feet Pete in the Ben Franklin pace in July at Pocono. The standout aged pacer came home a winner that night, with those other two superstars chasing him home, in a world-record matching time of 1:47. On Friday night at The Meadowlands, he put an explanation point on his season by defeating Wiggle It Jiggleit again (Freaky Feet Pete sat out due to injury) for the Breeders Crown title.
Racing Hill, who captured the 3-year-old pacing crown on Saturday night at The Big M, made a couple of big-stakes appearances at Pocono this season. In the Max Hempt pace in July, he handled the field in 1:49. He then came up short behind his rival Betting Line (who also sat out the BC) in the Battle Of The Brandywine in August. Broadway Donna, who also dominated her division (three-year-old trotting fillies) on her way to a Breeders Crown title as a heavy favorite, actually began her year at Pocono in June, winning a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in 1:54:1.
The Breeders Crown two-year-old trotting male pacing champion Huntsville actually made his first two career starts at Pocono. He lost his debut in a Pennsylvania All Stars race to Filibuster Hanover in June, only to bounce back a week later with a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victory in 1:51:4. That would spur him on to the state championship and, eventually, the BC title as well.
A couple Breeders Crown winners actually didn’t have much luck at MSPD. Bar Hopping, who rolled to the three-year-old male trotting championship on Saturday night, lost both of his big stakes races at Pocono to Southwind Frank; his BC title over Southwind Frank must have been sweet revenge. Meanwhile Call Me Queen Be raced here six times throughout the meet, winning only once in a consolation for the James Lynch in July. The three-year-old pacing filly was repeatedly stymied at Pocono by Pure Country and Darlinonthebeach, but she beat them both on Saturday night when it counted most as a 12-1 long shot with semi-regular Pocono driver Scott Zeron in the bike.
And, speaking of Pocono drivers, Marcus Miller, a regular here the past few seasons who is enjoying his finest meet in 2016, made his own Breeders Crown history with a win aboard Someomensomewhere in the two-year-old distaff pacing division at 17-1. Someomensomehwere, trained by Erv Miller, had a win and a place in a couple starts at Pocono to begin her career early in the summer. The win Saturday night, the first for Marcus Miller as a driver, came at the expense of several horses who had bested her throughout the season in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit.
Many other horses that made appearance at Pocono throughout not just this season, but also in recent years, were factors in their respective races on Friday and Saturday night as well. It’s been a remarkable season at Pocono, and that’s evident by the impact the track’s equine and human denizens made on harness racing’s biggest event.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Oct 24, 2016 | Breaking News, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Gaming, Keystone Grand Ballroom, Shopping
This November we’re ready to party!
WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 24, 2016) – This November Mohegan Sun Pocono is gearing up to celebrate our 10th Anniversary! Join us all month long for a schedule of rocking entertainment, fantastic giveaways, delicious dining deals and a special tree lighting to kick off the holiday season.
Upcoming Entertainment:
Incredible live entertainment inside the Keystone Grand Ballroom includes The Fray and special guest American Authors performing on Saturday, November 5th at 8:00pm with tickets starting at $37.50, The Guess Who on Saturday, November 19th at 8:00pm with tickets starting at $29.00 and KC and The Sunshine Band take the stage live on Sunday, November 20th at 8:00pm with tickets starting at $29.00.
10th Anniversary Promotions:
10-10-10 Sweepstakes: Earn entries November 1st-11th by playing your favorite slot machines or table games. Every Status point earned is equal to one entry into the Grand Prize drawing. Activate entries November 12th from 6:00am to Noon at any kiosk, slot machines or table game. From Noon to 10:00pm, 10 winners will be selected to win $10,000 cash! Earn entries again November 13th-25th and activate entries November 26th from 6:00am to Noon. 10 winners, $10,000 cash from Noon to 10:00pm!
Cheers to 10 years Giveaway: On Monday, November 14th earn entries from 6:00am to 4:00pm by playing your favorite slot and table games! Activate entries from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at any kiosk, slot machines or table game. Grand Prize drawing at 7:00pm and 10 winners will be selected to win $1,000 cash. *Must be present to win!
Hot Seat: All month long – 10:00am and 10:00pm one lucky guest will be selected to win $100.00 cash! That’s a total of 60 chances to win; the more you visit, the more you win!
10th Anniversary Specials:
Crossing Vineyards – Purchase the 10th Anniversary Wine Tasting* 10 wines for $10.00, and receive 10% off your additional purchase!
Johnny Rockets – Purchase one shake, get the second shake 25% off.
Wise Crackers – On Fridays, Wise Crackers tickets are $10.00.
Rustic Kitchen – Monday, November 14th: $10.00 Clams Casino Pizza, $5.00 Poker Face Martinis.
Spa Sapphire – All month long complimentary haircut when you receive any color or highlight service.
Complimentary shampoo & style and scalp massage when you receive a 60-minute Spa Sapphire pedicure!
Complimentary 30-minute foot reflexology when you receive any 60-minute massage or facial.
Monday, November 14th – 20% off all Aveda retail products and 10% off all Spa Sapphire gift card purchases.
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony:
Join us for a special evening of family fun as we celebrate the lighting of our holiday tree! The tree lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 30th at the main entrance.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, is one of the most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Pennsylvania. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including 91 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
Oct 5, 2016 | Racing
October 1-7, 2016
Although the calendar flipped to October, the racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono showed no signs of cooling off with the weather. Even sloppy racing conditions couldn’t slow down the action. As a result, there were plenty of performances worthy of consideration for this edition of the Weekly Awards. We present the best of the best from the week that was to you now.
PACER OF THE WEEK: MICHAEL’S VICTORY
This three-year-old gelding from the barn of Mark Silva showed his talent earlier this season when he ripped off a victory at The Meadowlands in a scorching 1:49:1. He entered his race against the non-winners of five on Sunday night on a high note as well, having beaten the same class in his previous race at Pocono in 1:52:3.
Despite all of that, Michael’s Victory went off as a 9-5 second choice. That’s because Tom Hill, a newcomer from the racing wars in Canada, went off as the 1-2 favorite based on some quick times up north. Yet it was Michael’s Victory who proved to be the aggressor, taking the lead away from Settlemoir with a quick brush on the front stretch and opening up a nice advantage on the rest of the field.
Tom Hill took a shot at the leader on the back stretch, but Michael’s Victory was having none of it. He kept up the heat until Tom Hill, struggling to get closer, made a speed break. And Michael’s Victory just kept pouring it on from there. When it was all over, the three-year-old, driven by Simon Allard, was a winner by an impressive 7 ¼ lengths in a zippy time of 1:51. He’ll be graduating from the non-winners of five off this win, and it should be fun to see how he performs at his next step up the racing ladder.
Other top pacers this week include: Keystone Velocity (Simon Allard, Barry Probber), who rolled over an outstanding field in Saturday night’s featured $25,000 handicap pace, matching a career-best of 1:48:2 despite sloppy conditions; Rockin Rambaran (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), who followed up a claiming handicap at Chester with another at Pocono on Saturday night, this one coming in 1:49:4 in the slop; and Yes You Can (Jim Marohn Jr., Tony Dinges), who arrived from Vernon Downs to capture Tuesday night’s feature pace for mares in a career-best 1:50:4.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: WESTSIDE LINDY
One of the things that seems to be true about harness racing perhaps more than other sports is that it often takes just a single victory to ignite a hot streak. In the case of Westside Lindy, a nine-year-old gelding, that victory came at Chester on August 25, which was his first of the season in twelve tries. He quickly followed that up with another win at Chester, whereupon he was claimed for $15,000 and joined the Chris Oakes barn when he shipped to Pocono.
After a second at a claiming price of $20,000 on September 12, he ripped off a victory against the same class two weeks later. On Sunday night he was once again facing off against the $20,000 claimers. As the even-money favorite, he swooped to the front around the first turn under the guidance of driver George Napolitano Jr. From there he held on to the lead without seeming to exert much effort, even as the fractions he posted were swift.
In the stretch, he widened his lead over the rest of the field until he could finally gear down a bit at the end. The veteran gelding still came home 2 ¾ lengths ahead of his closest competitor in a hasty 1:53:2. That winning time not only set a new career mark by almost a second, but it was also the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono. That one victory at Chester really fired up Westside Lindy, to the point where he’s racing better than he ever has before in his solid racing career.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Tweet Me (Mike Simons, Nicholas Devita) a mare who captured Sunday night’s featured $20,000 condition trot in 1:54:2; Star Photo (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), whose victory in a claiming trot on Monday night in 1:55:3 gave him three consecutive wins; and Eyes Cool (Anthony Napolitano, Ake Svanstedt), a two-year-old gelding who picked up his second straight condition victory on Tuesday and did so in a career-best 1:57:1.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: WINDUP WEST
Windup West, a filly pacer driven by Mike Simons, will never forget her maiden win on Sunday night, and neither will her backers since she went off at 50-1 and paid off $108 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.
The meet’s leading driver may have picked up his milestone 8,000th career win at Chester last Friday, but George Nap quickly added to that total at Pocono by ripping off five wins on Saturday night.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: JOE PAVIA JR.
Now focused on training after an amazing driving career, Pavia oversees a talented barn, as evidenced by wins on Saturday with Pointsman and Monday with Divination, each of whom went off at 7-1.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Sep 28, 2016 | Racing
September 24-30, 2016
After a couple weeks of abbreviated schedules, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono returned to our regular slate of four nights of racing this past week. The full schedule featured a bunch of great finishes, several outstanding performances, and some stunning upsets. In other words, it was just another week at one of the top tracks in the world. Here are some of the highlights as we hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: DREAMS BEACHBOY
This four-year-old gelding from the Chris Oakes barn came into 2016 with somewhat modest earnings, even though he showed flashes of brilliance as a four-year-old. Dreams Beachboy has turned that promise into results this season. He’s been especially fine at Pocono; in just the last two months, he beat the non-winners of nine, won a condition in a career-mark of 1:49:1, and, in his last race coming into Saturday night, handled a $15,500 condition class.
On Saturday night, he stepped up into the $20,000 feature class, but even with the move up, bettors still installed him as the favorite. In the early going, Dreams Beachboy didn’t show much, sitting in the middle of the pack in fifth as others did the work up front. On the back stretch driver George Napolitano Jr. guided the gelding to the outside. In a flash, he wheeled from fifth to first, taking over the lead shy of the three-quarter pole.
From there no one was able to even remotely threaten his lead. Dreams Beachboy coasted home a winner in 1:50:2 with a 2 ¼ quarter-length advantage over second-place Mister Bling A. Now with seven victories in 19 races this year and earnings in 2016 which are about double his bankroll from the first two years of his career, Dreams Beachboy keeps getting better and seems like he has a way to go before he reaches his peak.
Other top pacers this week include: Goldin Parachute (Dave Palone, Rodney Baker), who moved up in class to win a claiming handicap on Saturday night in 1:52:2, giving him two straight victories; The Rock (Anthony Napolitano, Andrew Harris), who scored a condition win on Sunday night in 1:50:2, which was a new career-best and matched Dreams Beachboy for fastest time of the week at Pocono; and Gweneeee J (Jim Marohn Jr., Linda Toscano), who arrived from The Meadowlands to capture Tuesday night’s featured condition pace for mares in 1:51:3.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: SPLITSVILLE
Who knows why horses sometimes take well to a track? When it happens, the results can be eye-opening. Splitsiville, a seven-year-old gelding, didn’t even hit the board in his first five races of the year before finally winning at Northfield in Ohio in a race for a purse of just $3,300. As soon as he arrived at Pocono and joined the barn of trainer Kris Rickert, his fortunes drastically changed. He immediately won two of three, climbing up the ladder to beat condition fields with purses of $8,500 and $11,000, with the latter win coming in a career-best 1:54:4.
After a fifth-place finish at Chester, the gelding returned to Pocono to face his toughest test yet on Saturday night in a $15,500 condition trot. The move up in class scared away the bettors, as Splitsville went off at 23-1. He sat fourth early on while the favorite Summers Windsong set the pace. Driver Eric Carlson set Splitsville in motion on the back stretch and quickly the gelding was looking the favored mare eye-to-eye.
The two continued their battle around the final turn, but, surprisingly, it was Summers Windsong who eventually relented. Or maybe it’s not so surprising considering Splitsville’s love of the Pocono oval. He trotted away and hid in the final strides, winning the race by a comfortable 3 ½ lengths and matching his career-best of 1:54 in the process.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Ashlake (Anthony Napolitano, Rene Allard), a mare whose victory in a claiming handicap on Monday night came in 1:53:3, a new career-best and the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Somebody As (George Napolitano Jr., Anette Lorentzon), who shipped in from Yonkers to capture Sunday night’s $20,000 featured trot in 1:54:1; and Star Photo (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who scored his second straight claiming handicap victory on Monday night, this one coming in 1:56:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: REGGIANO
Despite a #9 post position and a move up in class, this pacer driven by Eric Carlson stunned a condition group on Saturday night at 50-1, paying off $103 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ERIC CARLSON
He picked up just two wins on Saturday night but was awful lucrative for his backers, as his wins came aboard 23-1 Splitsville and 50-1 Reggiano.
TRAINER OF THE YEAR: STEVE SALERNO
Few trainers have frequented the Pocono training leaderboard for as many years as Salerno, and nights like Monday night, when he scored a training double, will probably get him there this year as well.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
