Live split card on Belmont day yields standouts

A specially-formatted 16-race card was featured on Belmont Day, June 6th,  at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with four races held before the historic doings in Elmont NY and then the remainder starting after the big race.
The race attracting the most attention was the tenth race (held in the evening portion), a $30,000 Open pace, and there was “dancin’ in the moonlight” as 2014 Pennsylvania Pacer of the Year Dancin Yankee never looked back in a 1:48.3 victory, going out in 26 and coming home in 26.4 firmly in control. George Napolitano Jr., king of the local driving colony again this year, was named on four horses in the race, and he picked the right one as the son of Yankee Cruiser raised his lifetime earnings harvest over $1.2M for trainer Josh Green and owners Baron Racing Stable and Richard Lombardo.
In the other $30,000 Open pace, Big Boy Dreams marked himself as a 4-year-old to watch as he reduced his mark to 1:49.4 in taking another $30,000 Open pacing contest. The son of If I Can Dream made the front just past the ¼ for driver Simon Allard, set the pace, then rocketed home in 26.4 for his second straight victory after a third-place finish in the Confederation Cup Final. Trainer Rene Allard shares ownership of the winner of over half a million dollars with Robert Hamather and Mary Lou Poliseno.
The ladies were in the spotlight in the last race of the “early” card and the first race of the “later” card.
In the last race held before the Belmont, Blue Chip Matchmaker winner Venus Delight asserted a claim to be the leader of the older female division with a 1:50.2 decision in a $30,000 mares handicap pace, despite not having started since her victory in the Yonkers series final on April 25. But the daughter of Bettor’s Delight and driver Jason Bartlett had to work hard for the top money, rallying out of the pocket to catch perhaps the most-improved horse of 2015, Ooh Bad Shark, to tally by a head after grabbing the lead with about 100 feet to go. The winner, who set a personal mark, is trained by Jeff Bamond Jr. for owners Bamond Racing LLC – who might get a fifth straight older pacing mares yearly title, with Anndrovette having won in the last four seasons.
After American Pharoah won the Belmont and the first thoroughbred Triple Crown in 37 years, the Broadway Hall mare Frau Blucher went 34 4/5 seconds faster in winning, capturing a $30,000 open trot while defeating six males and two females in 1:51.4, 2/5 of a second off her mark and the 4TM world record she set at The Downs last year. Frau Blucher, driven by George Napolitano Jr. for trainer Chris Oakes, made every pole a winning one while raising her career bankroll to $976,932 for owners Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises LLC and Susan Oakes. (And she’d be over $1M right now but for an inch, as she was deadheated for the win by stablemate Classic Martine in the world record-DH PA Sire Stakes 3TF Championship race in 2013.)
–On this 16-race card, two drivers won ten of the races, and only five drivers in all won: George Napolitano Jr. and Simon Allard both had five victories (four of Allard’s were trained by brother Rene); Jason Bartlett had 3, Anthony Napolitano had 2, and Marcus Miller had 1.
There were a total of seven miles in 1:50 or better on the card, topped by Dancin Yankee’s 1:48.3; among the drivers, George Nap had three, and Allard two.

Yagonnakissmeornot dominates Open Handicap Mares Pace

Yagonnakissmeornot, benefiting from her versatility and the hot team of driver Simon Allard and trainer/brother Rene, moved off second-over cover to catch pacesetting Ooh Bad Shark and record a half-length victory in a $30,000 mares open handicap pace Wednesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Coming off a win in the Chip Noble Pace at Miami Valley and a second in the Blue Chip Final at Yonkers before that, Yagonnakissmeornot left from post seven in the eight-horse field and tucked fifth early as Ooh Bad Shark assumed the lead after the 26.4 quarter and posted middle splits of 55.2 and 1:23. Simon Allard had the daughter of The Panderosa in high gear midway on the final turn, and by midstretch it was apparent that the winner would catch the frontstepper, and she did in 1:50.3, with “Kiss”’s own last half 54.2 over an oval not known to be favorable to closers.
Yagonnakissmeornot, now a career winner of $971,366, paid $4.20 in winning for Allard Racing Inc, Yves Sarrazin, and Kapildeo Singh; second choice Anndrovette, assigned the outside post eight, had traffic trouble and finished off the board.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Week in Review

August 29-September 4, 2014
As we roll into the month of September and summer slowly begins to yield to fall, the action at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs continues at a fever pitch. Next week in this space we’ll be discussing all the exciting action from Pennsylvania Championship Saturday on September 6. This week, as usual, we’ll celebrate the best of racing at Pocono by doling out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: I LIKE DREAMIN
He may be named after a soft-rock classic by 70’s one-hit wonder Kenny Nolan, but this 5-year-old stallion is anything but mellow on the race track. Trained by Pat LaChance, I Like Dreamin arrived from Yonkers at the start of August and started to find his stride almost immediately at Pocono, finishing second in a tough condition his second time out and then posting an impressive condition win on August 23 in a career-best 1:49:2.
On Saturday night, he stepped up in class to a condition for non-winners of $17,500 in the last five starts for a purse of $18,000. With a tough #7 post in a field of eight, it figured that I Like Dreamin might have a hard time working his way to the front end with his early speed. But driver Tom Jackson took a chance and sent him first over on the front stretch, even taking some air around the clubhouse turn before making the lead just shy of the half.
With fast fractions at every pole, it was distinctly possible that I Like Dreamin might cave. Instead he seemed to freshen up in the home stretch, pacing away from his foes to win by a comfortable 2 ½-length margin in 1:49:3, giving him back-to-back wins in under 1:50 and demonstrating how this pacer has been far more punk rock than easy listening at the track of late.
Other top pacers this week include: Anndrovette (Andrew McCarthy, PJ Fraley), the superstar veteran mare who earned her second straight Preferred Handicap win on Friday night in 1:50:3; Giddy Up Blackfly (Kevin Wallis, Matias Ruiz), who powered to a claiming win on Saturday night in 1:50:2 for his second straight victory and fourth in his last six races; and Mustang Art (Kevin Wallis, James McGuire), who scorched the track on Saturday night for his second straight condition win, this one coming in 1:49.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: MISTERY WOMAN
This mare was a standout as a 3-year-old in 2013, earning nearly $300,000 in just 15 starts. Her four-year-old season started with a lot of rugged competition at the Meadowlands, which she couldn’t quite overcome, failing to hit the board in her first five races of the year. But her first start at Pocono quickly turned things around, as she took advantage of a good trip to rally for a win in a career-best 1:52.
On Saturday night, Mistery Woman, trained by Jonas Czernyson, stepped up into even stiffer competition, taking on the non-winners of $22,500 in the last five starts for a purse of $21,000. With an outside post, it seemed unlikely that the racing luck would fall her way again. Some early speed put her third on the inside early, decent position to strike as long as she didn’t get stuck inside of the outer flow of horses.
Driver Andrew McCarthy stayed patient, resisting the temptation to join the traffic on the outside of the mare. That strategy paid off in the stretch when the outside opened up for a fresh Mistery Woman. With a blinding rush, she zipped by highly regarded veteran trotters Money On My Mind and Sevruga for her second straight win, this one in 1:52:3 as an 11-1 long shot. This mare has found her form at Pocono, so all her competitors better be on top of their game.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: GOLD DEUCE
Despite an outside post in a field of nine, this claiming pacer with Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike uncorked a late move to score on Saturday night at 46-1, paying off $95.20 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ANDREW MCCARTHY
A four-win night on Friday started McCarthy off to a big week, culminating with a victory on Wednesday night that gave him 100 wins for the 2014 Pocono meet.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: PJ FRALEY
Fraley had two starters on Friday night and made them count, as Anndrovette won the featured pace for mares and Krispy Apple won a condition in 1:48:4, fastest time of the week at Pocono.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

ANNDROVETTE WINS PREFERRED HANDICAP AT POCONO

Seven powerful mares hit the track for the Preferred Handicap race at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Friday evening.   
George Napolitano Jr. gunned Show Runner (Little Steven – Peace Runner) out of the gate first, followed by Yagonnakissmeornot (The Panderosa-Artstopper, driven by Simon Allard;  and Anndrovette (Riverboat King – Easy Miss), picking up a new driver in Andrew McCarthy, at odds of 3-5 , went three-wide to soon take over the lead.  Fractions were 26.2; 55.3; 123; and the $3 million-plus mare held on for a gutsy win over the fast-charging Yagonnakissmeornot, flying up the rail at the wire in a final time of 1:50.3.  Arodasi (Western Terror – Do Me Justice) with Kevin Wallis picking up the drive, finished third.   
Anndrovette, trained by P J. Fraley, now has six wins for the season. 
 In an earlier race on the card, Krispy Apple (Western Ideal-Apple Krisp) picked up her first win of the season in dominating fashion and posted a new lifetime mark of 1:48.4.  The mare is also trained by P J Fraley, and was also  driven to victory by Andrew McCarthy.   

Feeling You Wins Distaff Feature at Pocono

October 4, 2013
Feeling You outpaced Androvette in a showdown between two of racing’s best aged pacing mares, winning Friday night’s featured Preferred Handicap pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in the process. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #5 in a field of seven as the 4-5 favorite, Feeling You (Cambest-Ripreza Hanover), a 6-year-old mare who is the pride of the Amber Buter barn, grabbed the lead early for driver Tyler Buter. From the half-mile on she was challenged first-over by top division rival Anndrovette. The two mares staged a mini-preview of the Breeders Crown action coming up at Pocono in the coming weeks, dueling in the stretch with Feeling You prevailing by a head in 1:50. Fashion Mystery finished further back in 3rd.
Feeling You, owned by Stephen Oldford, Oldford Farms LLC, and Tyler Buter, won for the 10th time in 22 races this year. The victory was the 34th of her career and pushed her lifetime earnings to $954,096.