Sep 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
WILKES-BARRE, PA (August 16, 2010)—Real Amor, a two-year-old Real Artist filly, picked a good time to break her maiden, winning one of several divisions of The Stallion Series at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Monday evening.
After three consecutive second-place finishes, Real Amor stopped the timer in 1:55.1 with Jim Morrill Jr. in the sulky. She won by 2 ¼ lengths over N Y Yankees (Andrew McCarthy) with Liqueur (George Napolitano Jr.) third.
Leaving from the three post, Morrill Jr. quickly seized the lead, getting to the opening quarter in 27, half in 56.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.4.
Morrill Jr. said he felt Real Amor could have gotten to the thee-quarter pole in 1:21 and a piece. With a comfortable lead, he “geared down” to win easily.
“She was real hot tonight,” he stated following the race.
Brad Provost trains Real Amor.
Morrill Jr. collected two other $20,000 The Stallion Series races with Foreign Soil and Safe Bet Hanover. He had four wins through 12 races of the 16-race card.
Foreign Soil, trained by Paul Reid, was a winner in 1:55.2 while Safe Bet Hanover, conditioned by Randy Bendis, was timed in 1:56.3.
Sara’s Dragon, driven by Mike Simons, won the first $20,000 division for the two-year-old pacing fillies with a time of 1:56. Roland Mallar trains this winner.
Playful Patty, piloted by Joe Pavia Jr. and trained by Kevin Johnson, was another divisional winner on the Monday night card. The timer read 1:56.1.
Sep 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
WILKES-BARRE, PA (August 14, 2010)—Jeremy’s Successor, driven by George Napolitano Jr. outpaced Golden Receiver (Andrew McCarthy) to win the featured open handicap pace of the week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Time of the mile was 1:50.3 and it was a three-quarter of a length win for Jeremy’s Successor, who was second in this condition July 24 with a 1:48.3 mile.
Finishing third in back of Golden Receiver was Where’s Waldo (Joe Pavia Jr.).
Golden Receiver took the seven-horse field to the opening panel in 26 seconds while it was Riggins (Tom Jackson) on the front end at the half mile, timed in 54 seconds.
Riggins also was on top at the three-quarters with the timer reading 1:22 but faded to seventh and last at the conclusion of the race.
This was the sixth win in 23 starts for Jeremy’s Successor, trained by Dean Eckley.
Napolitano Jr. the meet’s leading driver, collected his 200th victory of the season and had three on the night through 12 races.
Keeping Pace—The Back To The Track Promotion, in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association, brought out a big Saturday night crowd.
Seven lucky fans got to ride in the starting car while Player’s Club members received a free $5 wager and T-Shirt with a friend also receiving the like.
There also was 50-cent hotdogs, soda and beer.
Highlight of the evening was the awarding of all-expenses paid trip for two to the 2010 Little Brown Jug in Ohio in September and the lucky winner via drawing was Ed Stella of Jessup, Pa.
Aug 5, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA (June 22, 2010) Scorpion Moon, driven by Jim Morrill Jr., captured the $24,000 Open I Handicap Trot Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
This marked the second straight victory at the Northeastern Pennsylvania in this condition, trotting the mile 1:54.1 over a sloppy race track.
Grain Of Truth (Tom Jackson), who has finished no less than third in the last 10 starts at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, was second in the race, ¾ of a length behind while third-place went to Dennis (Mike Simons), who was eded out for the second spot.
Opening quarter was timed in 27.2 with Grain Of Truth on top in the six-horse field with Scorpion Moon sitting third. It was shortly after the opening quarter Morrill Jr. took to the outside and was the new leader at the half, clicked off in 56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.2.
Scorpion Moon, the 4-5 favorite in the race, was winning for the eighth time in 16 starts in 2010.
In the Open II Trot, it was Mike Simons driving Shibboleth Hanover to a victory with a time of 1:54.3. This marked the third straight win for the four-year-old SJ’s Caviar stallion at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
The other two victories by Shibboleth Hanover, trained by Clarence Martin Jr., also were timed in 1:54.3.
Shibboleth Hanover won by 3 and ¼ lengths over Ginger Tree Jimmy (Larry Stalbaum) with Khifra Hanover (Kevin Sizer) finishing third.
Aug 4, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA — Gasoline, hitting on all cylinders, and My Good Side produced the fastest miles of the six divisions of The Stallion Series for two-year-old trotting fillies Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Gasoline, driven by Hans Eriksson and trained by Jimmy Takter, scored a wire to wire victory from the three post in the fifth division of the series for the freshman filly trotters. Time of the mile was 1:58.4.
This was the maiden win for Gasoline in three life starts.
My Good Side, piloted by Tony Morgan and trained by Steve Schoeffel, captured the final division with an identical clocking of 1:58.4. The victory was also the first for the young distaff trotter in five starts.
In a real tight finish of the fourth division, it was Beatgoeson Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) heading out After Dark (Don Irvine Jr.) at the wire. Time of this division was 1:59.4.
Beatgoeson Hanover is trained by R. Nifty Norman.
Trainer Ron Gurfein collected a stakes victory when Beyond Blue won by a head over NF Barnstormer (Tim Curtin). This race went in 2:00.3.
Matt Kakaley was the sulky with Beyond Blue, who won for the second time in four life starts.
Kevin Sizer drove Can’t Miss to a wire to wire win in the second division of The Stallion Series. This mile went in 2:00.1.
Jan Fread trains Can’t Miss, who won for the first time in four tries this season.
Migisi, driven by Irvine Jr. and trained by Don Swick, was the opening divisional victor. She broke her maiden with a time of 2:01.1. It was the fifth life start for Migisi.
Aug 3, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA —Farifant, driven by Andrew McCarthy, captured the $24,000 Open I Trot in track-record fashion Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Winning by two lengths over a fast-closing Dennis, Farifant stopped the timer in 1:52.1and equaled the second fastest trot ever in the history of the Northeastern Pennsylvania five-eighths mile track.
Farifant, an eight-year-old And Artifant stallion trained by Anette Lorentzon, was winning for the fourth straight time at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
The record-setting trot Tuesday came in wire to wire fashion from the seven post in the featured trot of the week.
Varenne, at the age of seven, established the aged stallion record on a five-eighths mile track in Finland in 2002 with the clock reading 1:51.3.
Armbro Barrister, with Ray Schnittker in the sulky, previously held the record at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with a 1:53.1 mile set in June of 2006.
Badboy Paparazzi A, driven by Mike Simons and trained by Gail Wrubel, won the Open II Trot with a time of 1:54.
On the pace side Tuesday night, Presidential Order stopped the timer in 1:48.4, only two ticks of equaling the all-time track mark of 1:48.2.
Driven by Joe Pavia Jr. and trained by Lou Pena, the five-year-old Camotion gelding scored a wire to wire victory from the eight hole in a $25,000-$30,000 claiming pace. This marked the ninth straight win for Presidential Order.
Pilgrims Toner, driven by Brian Sears, set the aged gelding pace record May 29 of this year with the timer reading 1:48.2 and also equaled the all-time fastest mile ever at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Shadow Play, in an Adios elimination race with David Miller in the bike in August of 2008, stopped the timer in 1:48.2.
