Continual Velocity Upsets in Pocono Feature

June 1, 2014
Continual Velocity parlayed a pocket trip into a stunning upset in Sunday night’s featured Preferred pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Continual Velocity (Real Artist-Extreme Velocity), a 6-year-old mare from the Ron Burke barn, finished up the track in 6th in the same class a week ago, which is probably why she was a 32-1 shot from the inside post in a field of six on Sunday night. Yet driver Matt Kakaley found the pocket early, and Continual Velocity outpaced fast-closing Feeling You in the stretch to win by a neck in a career-best 1:50:2. Pacesetting American In Paris finished third while heavy favorite Shebestingin struggled to fifth.
Continual Velocity won for the fifth time in a dozen 2014 starts. It was her 26th career victory, pushing her lifetime earnings to $511,525.

Somewhereovrarainbow Sets World Record for Distaff Pacers at Pocono

May 25, 2014
Somewhereovrarainbow paced faster than any distaff pacer on a 5/8-mile oval in history in winning a $25,000 Preferred pace for mares on Sunday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
A four-year-old mare from the Joe Holloway barn, Somewhereovrarainbow (Somebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Blue) left from the outside #7 post as the 2-5 favorite and settled third around the opening turn behind pacesetter Show Runner. After making the lead easily with a front stretch brush, driver Tim Tetrick cut Somewhereovrarainbow loose and she opened up a huge advantage on the outstanding field, until the only question was the winning time. She came home 7 ¼ lengths in front in 1:48. That winning time put her past Drop The Ball, who held both the 4-year-old mare mark of 1:48:4 and the all-ages distaff record of 1:48:2. Krispy Apple was best of the rest in second with Feeling You picking up the show.
Owned by Theodore Gewertz and Diamond Creek Racing, Somewhereovrarainbow won for the sixth time in eight races this season. It was her 18th career win and pushed her lifetime earnings to 1,165,509.

Camille Wins Star-Studded Feature Distaff Pace at Pocono

May 12, 2013
Camille outdueled Feeling You in a rematch of the rivalry they recently stoked at Yonkers, winning Sunday night’s featured Preferred pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
On April 27 at Yonkers, Feeling You rallied in the stretch to knock off pacesetting Camille in the $250,000 Blue Chip final at Yonkers. On Sunday night at Pocono, Camille benefitted from a #3 post position in a field of nine, while Feeling You started from the #7 hole. Camille was made the 4-5 betting favorite, and the 5-year-old mare from the Ron Burke barn took the lead around the first turn from early leader Warrawee Koine.
Driver Matt Kakaley was able to rate the speed well aboard Camille (Camluck-Art Of Design) with a 29-second second panel, and the mare would need every bit of that energy when Feeling You came at her first-over on the back stretch. The two dueled right to the line before Camille prevailed by a nose in 1:51:1. Warrawee Koine picked up the show and Economy Terror, a former Breeders Crown winner and two-time Pennsylvania State champ, was fourth in her first start of the season.
Camille, owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable, and Jack Piatt II, won for the fourth time in six tries this year in what was her first sojourn outside of New York in 2013. It was also her 24th career win and pushed her lifetime earnings to $849,309.
In other action at Pocono on Sunday night, Only In My Dreams (Credit Winner-Invincible Dream), trained by Gail Wrubel and driven by Mike Simons, won a $13,000 condition trot that was run in honor of Bobby Manning. Manning was a longtime Pocono horseman who died a few months ago at the age of 51. The Pocono horsemen gathered en masse in the winner’s circle following the race to honor Manning’s memory.