Mar 25, 2015 | Racing
Trotting males and pacing females were featured in first leg action of their divisions of the Bobby Weiss Series Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with two $15,000 sections for each group contested.
In the first trotting cut Two Hip Dip set the pace, then blasted home in 1:55.4 – 56.2 – 27.1 for driver David Miller and trainer/owner Nick Salenetri. The son of Glidemaster was the slight favorite in a race where two horses were sent off at 4-5 – his co-“odds-on” rival Bourbon Bay was outfooted late for second by Raise The Curtain.
The other diamondgaited division also went to driver David Miller, again on the engine, this time with Walk The Walk. Walk The Walk trotted the trot about five lengths better than anyone else in the field until the shadow of the wire, where he ran the run, but was not in violation of the breaking rules. The son of Muscle Hill, owned by trainer Chris Ryder in partnership with Sidney Korn, Robert Mondillo, and Max Wernick, posted a new personal speed badge of 1:55.1 despite the bobble, with back timings of 56.3 – 28.
Miller and Ryder again teamed in a division of the female Weiss action, using “pocket rocket” tactics into a 28 kicker with the Rocknroll Hanover filly Crescent City to get a nose up in a new mark of 1:54 for Diamond Creek Racing. This event also featured an unusual betting pattern, with three horses at less than 2-1 – the winner was 7-5, place horse Hollyrocker was 9-5, and first-over Caviart Shelly (fourth) was 3-2.
The other distaff division also saw a nose separate the top two, as a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, Life Is A Beach, maintained an early brush to command to the wire over The Beach Nextdoor in a personal best 1:53.1, with twin 28.1s the last half. Matt Kakaley had sulky duty for trainer Ron Burke and the omnipresent Burke Racing / Weaver Bruscemi partnership.
David Miller and Kakaley had three wins on the card; doubles were recorded by George Napolitano Jr. and, on his birthday, Mike Simons, with the latter win for “The Trot Man” the appropriately-gaited Magnum Kosmos. As opposed to opening night this past Saturday, where the average win mutuel was over $21, 7 of 13 chalks clicked this evening.
Nov 4, 2014 | Racing
October 25, 2014
Speed Again led every step of the way to win the featured Open pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $35,000.
Leaving from post position #6 in a field of nine as a 4-1 third choice, Speed Again, a 5-year-old gelding from the Run Burke barn who was fresh off an Open Handicap win at Harrah’s at Philadelphia, was sent to the front by driver Anthony Napolitano right from the start. P H Supercam, the 4-5 favorite who had won three Opens in a row at Yonkers, settled behind him in the pocket. In the stretch, Speed Again answered the charge of P H Supercam, holding him off to win by a neck in 1:49. Aslan finished third.
Speed Again, owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and RTC Stables, won for the 6th time in 23 races this year. It was his 21st lifetime win and pushed his career earnings to $764,896.
Jul 8, 2013 | Racing
July 7, 2013
Sevruga matched the fastest time ever trotted on a 5/8-mile oval with a romping win in a Preferred trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Sunday night. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Sevruga (SJ’s Caviar-Stunning Lindsey), a 5-year-old gelding from the Julie Miller barn, left from post position #6 in a field of seven as the 1-5 favorite. Driver Andy Miller sent him to the front before the quarter, and as he clipped off fractions of 26:4, 55:4, and 1:22:4, the rest of the field faded from view. Sevruga trotted home 5 ½ lengths in front in a stunning 1:50:3. Upfront Billy in second and Traverse Seelster in third picked up the minor awards.
Sevruga’s time of 1:50:3 matched the mark set at Pocono just eight nights ago by Uncle Peter as the fastest ever time trotted on a 5/8-mile oval. It also sets the track and world record for aged geldings trotting on that distance track. The previous world mark was 1:50:4.
Sevruga, owned by KDM Stables Corp, won for the 8th time in 14 races this season. The victory was the 25th of his career and put his lifetime earnings at $635,091.
In other Sunday night action at Pocono, Rock N Soul outfinished Economy Terror in the stretch in a duel between million-dollar mares, winning a Preferred Handicap pace for mares in the process. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #6 in a field of seven, Rock N Soul (Rocknroll Hanover-Artchitecture), left early and led at the quarter only to cede the lead to Economy Terror in the front stretch. The two stayed in that order until the stretch, when driver Matt Kakaley guided Rock N Soul, trained by Ron Burke, up the inside passing lane to win by a neck over Economy Terror in a career-best 1:49:4. Bullet Point was right with the top two at the line in third.
Rock N Soul, owned by Weaver Bruscemi, Burke Racing, and Frank Baldachino, won for the fourth time in 13 races this season. It was the 21st career victory for the 6-year-old mare, pushing her lifetime earnings to $1,012,935.
Apr 7, 2013 | Racing
April 6, 2013
Tall Cotton led most of the way for a victory in Saturday night’s featured trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Tall Cotton (Revenue S-B Cor Peatra) left from the inside post in a field of six as the 6-5 favorite. Driver Matt Kakaley sent the 7-year-old gelding from the Ron Burke barn to the front around the first turn, and he benefitted from a lack of outside pressure which allowed him to set a comfortable pace. In the stretch, he kicked away from Modern Family to win by two lengths in 1:53:3. Photo King finished 3rd.
It was the first win in three starts this season for Tall Cotton, who is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Edwin Gold, and Howard Taylor. He now has 15 lifetime victories and career earnings of $352,331.
Sep 10, 2012 | Racing
September 8, 2012
Foiled Again made a furious rally on the outside to nose out Bettor Sweet and win a talent-packed Open pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $50,000.
Foiled Again (Dragon Again-In A Safe Place) left from the outside post in a field of seven which had combined lifetime earnings of approximately $12 million. Driver Matt Kakaley settled the eight-year-old gelding in fifth place early as a 2-1 second choice while 8-5 favorite We Will See took the field to the quarter in 26:4 on a sloppy track. Bettor Sweet brushed in the front stretch to take the lead and get the field to the half in a sizzling 54:2.
Kakaley set Foiled Again in motion on the back stretch and got a break when Rockincam headed out in front of him to provide cover. Bettor Sweet was still on top at three-quarters in 1:22, and driver David Miller had the gelding poised for his first win of the season in the stretch. But Foiled Again had other ideas, spinning off his cover and lunging to beat Bettor Sweet by a nose at the line in 1:49:1. Blatantly Good picked up the show.
Fresh off his win in the Canadian Derby, Foiled Again, the pride of the Ron Burke barn and owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and JJK Stables, pushed his season earnings to $958,439 and his career earnings to $4,376,994 with the win. He now has 6 victories in 18 races this season and 64 lifetime wins.
