Oct 9, 2019 | Racing
October 5-11, 2019
One of the fun things about the racing action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun is how, year after year, we see a lot of the same horses coming back to perform well. That allows the fans to develop a relationship with these performers over time, a relationship that can really intensify with horses that race effectively to the point where they approach 10 or so years old. Case in point: the horse who leads off the Weekly Awards this week and has been doing damage at Pocono for years and years.
PACER OF THE WEEK: SCOTT ROCKS
It wouldn’t have felt right if we made it through an entire season at Pocono without Scott Rocks capturing Pacer of the Week honors. The nine-year-old gelding has probably won more Saturday night features than any other horse in the track’s history, and he just keeps rolling. He picked up a win in the featured $21,500 condition pace on September 28 in a season-best 1:49:3, and he was right back at it again last Saturday night in that class, leaving from an outside post in a field of six.
Even though he was coming off the win in the same class, and even though he’s proven himself again and again at the Pocono over, Scott Rocks, trained by Hunter Oakes, went off as the 9-5 second choice on the board. The favorite was Western Joe, an equally classy pacer who was coming off two straight wins at Pocono, the previous one in a scorching 1:48:2. It figured to be a showdown between these two, and that’s just what materialized.
Western Joe set the pace after taking the lead from Scott Rocks on the first turn. The fractions that he set were quick but reasonable, but he was never able to open up any kind of margin on Scott Rocks. In the stretch, George Napolitano Jr., who was been the driver for the vast majority of the Pocono wins for Scott Rocks, tipped him to the outside. Scott Rocks nosed out Western Joe in a thrilling stretch duel for the victory in 1:50:2, adding to the incredible record he has forged at his favorite track of all.
Other top pacers this week include: Clarebear (Eric Carlson, Michael Russo), who moved up in class on Tuesday night for her second straight victory at Pocono, this time capturing the featured condition pace for mares in 1:52:1; Burning Midnight (George Napolitano Jr., Lou Pena), who moved up in class for his second straight condition win on Saturday night, getting it done in 1:52:3; and Twin B Tuffenuff (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), who captured his second straight condition pacing win on Sunday night, getting it done in 1:50:1.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: JOEY PRO
This five-year-old gelding has really taken to Pocono since shipping in from New York. He reeled off back-to-back condition wins immediately upon arrival, both from unforgiving #8 post positions. First Joey Pro, trained by John Hallett, handled an $8,500 condition group on the front end to win on September 22 in 1:55:3. He followed it up by beating the $11,000 condition trotters a week later in a new career-best time of 1:54:4, this time using a pocket trip to get it done.
On Sunday night at Pocono, Joey Pro stepped up in class again, this time taking on a $14,000 condition class from the #7 post in a field of eight. Moving up the condition ladder is never easy, but it was especially daunting this time around as the field contained a pair of million-dollar earners in Zooming and DW’s NY Yank. The latter set the pace as the 6-5 favorite, while Joey Pro, at 8-1, found the pocket seat early.
DW’s NY Yank had to endure a strong first-over challenge to his lead from Archibald. Meanwhile, Anthony Napolitano waited patiently for his chance with Joey Pro before finally getting a chance to cut him loose in the passing lane. Joey Pro surged even with DW’s NY Yank and then stepped past, getting up to win by three parts of a length in the process. On top of winning his third straight, he also reset his career mark with a mile of 1:54:3.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: TSM Photo Bugger (Fern Paquet Jr., Karen Fread), who churned out his second straight condition win on Sunday night, this one in 1:54:4; Hill Of A Horse (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), whose condition win on Sunday night in 1:54:3 was a career-best; and Boss Du Fosse (George Napolitano Jr., Mark Silva), who followed up back-to-back wins at Harrah’s at Philadelphia with a claiming handicap victory at Pocono on Saturday night in 1:55:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: BUTTER TOFFEE
You might say it was a sweet victory for this trotter trained and driven by Alex Kavoleff, especially at odds of 21-1 on a Monday condition victory for a $2-win payout of $45.20.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.
As the season comes to close, George Nap, well on his way to another Pocono driving title, is intensifying the pace, as evidenced by his eight-win night on Saturday.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: MARK SILVA
Silva enjoyed an excellent weekend at Pocono, following up a training double on Saturday night with another victory on Sunday night in the featured condition trot with Scirocco Rob.
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 3, 2018 | Racing
September 29-October 5, 2018
As we roll into the month of October, it is hard to ignore the fact that, by the end of this month, a dozen division champions will be crowned on October 27 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The Breeders Crown is fast approaching, but we still have some business to conduct at Pocono in the few weeks between now and then. Namely, some more outstanding overnight racing action, such as what transpired these past four racing nights to produces these Weekly Award winners.
PACER OF THE WEEK: ROCKSTAR ANGEL A
This Australian-bred mare has taken a shine to Pocono even since arriving from overseas this past summer. So far all of her victories in the United States has come at the Pocono oval, including a win in her U.S. debut back in July and an impressive victory on September 4 in a $17,000 condition pace in a career-best 1:51. Leading into Sunday night’s featured $21,500 condition pace for mares, Rockstar Angel A had not raced since that September 4 win, a span of almost four weeks.
The fact that there was a possible rust factor and the step up in class may have been why Rockstar Angel A went off as a 3-1 third choice on the board with an inside post in a field of seven. That also could have been a byproduct of the quality of the field, which was led by Bettorhaveanother, winner of the finals of the Great Northeast Open mares pacing series final in her previous race at Pocono. It was indeed Betterhaveanother who set the pace, ceding the lead around the clubhouse turn to 3-2 favorite Penpal.
Meanwhile Rockstar Angel A sat on the inside about four lengths away on the back stretch. Once driver George Napolitano Jr. called on this Chris Oakes trainee around the last turn, she gobbled up the margin. She overtook Penpal and Betterhaveanother and held off fellow closer Don’t Think Twice to win it by a neck. Her winning time was 1:51.2, and Rockstar Angel A now has two straight wins against the very toughest distaffers that Pocono has to offer.
Other top pacers this week include: Pembroke Wildcat (Anthony Napolitano, Brittany Robertson), who picked up his second straight claiming handicap victory against the toughest claimers on the grounds at Pocono on Saturday night, winning this one in 1:51.4: Voracity (Eric Carlson, Ron Burke), who returned from New York to defeat a condition field on Saturday night in 1:49.3, the fastest time at Pocono this past week and a new career mark; and Well Played Out (Tyler Buter, Alex Kavoleff), who rolled to his second straight conditional claiming win on Monday night, getting it done in a career-best 1:52.2.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TYSON
This five-year-old gelding has been one of the better performers on the trotting side all meet long at Pocono. Trained by Edwin Gannon Jr., Tyson has earned the bulk of his seven victories this year at Pocono. The kicker is that most of those wins have come when he hasn’t been a favorite, with several coming at middle-priced odds. On Sunday night he dropped down into a $17,500 condition group and went off as the 5-2 third choice in a field of seven.
Driver Eric Carlson held Tyson back in the middle of the pack early as Dream Baby Dream, the race favorite, headed for the front. Elysium Lindy set right behind the leader on the inside. As they rounded the final turn, Dream Baby Dream went on a speed break. That was a big break for Tyson, who otherwise might have been hopelessly blocked or had too much ground to make up in the stretch if he had been locked into his third-in journey.
Instead he wound up right behind Elysium Lindy, who had inherited the lead from the breaking horse. In the stretch, Carlson tipped Tyson to the outside and he won a tight stretch duel over Elysium Lindy. The margin was just a head, but the 1:53.4 winning time by the gelding matched the fastest trotting time this past week at Pocono. We are getting closer to yearend awards time at Pocono, and Tyson is a trotter who definitely deserves consideration.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Two AM (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who dropped down in class to win a condition trot on Saturday night in 1:53.4, matching Tyson for the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Mandela Blue Chip (Tyler Buter, Alex Kavoleff), who handled a condition field on Monday night in a sharp time of 1:54.1; and Second Sister (Anthony Napolitano, Michael Deters), a mare who snuck in a condition won on Tuesday night in 1:54.3 before rain cancelled the remainder of the card.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: SOME GOLD
Nobody saw it coming when this condition pacer driven by Vinny Ginsburg upended the field on Saturday night at stunning odds of 114-1, paying off $230.80 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: TYLER BUTER
Buter has returned to a more regular driving role this year at Pocono and has been on fire of late, tallying three wins on Saturday night and then four more on the Monday program.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: CHRIS OAKES
The Oakes’ barn had a field day on Sunday night, ripping off five victories out of five starters sent to the gate, including a win in the mares pacing feature with Rockstar Angel.
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].
Oct 26, 2011 | Racing
The Grey Ghosts come to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs!
Live harness racing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be strangely eerie on Saturday, October 29th as the harness track in Northeast PA hosts a special “Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace” for grey or roan horses.
The field is set with seven ghostly greys entered for the race, which is the third on the card. Monticello’s “Little Grey Jug” winner Trigger Finger ships in to try the Pocono oval after setting a 1:53.4 track record in the 21st edition of that race on September 20th. He’ll be joined by Jaguar Jet, who finished third in that race at Monticello.
John Nason’s Gray Bomber makes the trip from Plainridge Racecourse to take on Pocono favorites Gotta Love Him, trained by Cindy Weitoish; Woe’s Jet Filly, the lone mare in the race, trained by Alex Kavoleff; and the Eric Mollar-trained I’m So Blue. Rounding out the field is Sham’s Big Guy, trained by Jason Robinson.
The winning horse will be presented with his or her trophy by children in costume, and a scary and spookily decorated Winner’s Circle will set the mood for the race. Jennifer Starr, Pocono’s Racing Marketing Manager, is a huge fan of the grey horses, and jumped right in to plan the event and tie it in to Halloween weekend.
***According to the U.S. Trotting Association, the governing body of harness racing, less than five percent of all harness horses are grey in color. The most famous was the former world champion trotter and Hambletonian winner, Greyhound.
