Aug 2, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA —My Old Friend John, piloted and trained by Tom Jackson, turned in the fastest time on the Monday night card at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
The five-year-old stallion edged Bugatti Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) at the line with the timer stopped in 1:51.1. Time also was a new life mark for My Old Friend John.
Jackson collected another win on the evening with Make It Hot in the ninth race. He trains this winner.
Lotta Lightning, coming off four straight second-place finishes at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack, won a $20,000 claiming pace with McCarthy in the bike. Time of this mile was 1:53.3.
McCarthy swept the early Daily Double, winning with Old Trafford in the opener for trainer Randy Bendis and with Lotta Lightning, conditioned by Steve Salerno, in the second race of the 16-race card.
In the fifth race, McCarthy won with Dreamzzzz R For U for trainer Joe Holloway. It was the two-year-old Western Hanover’s second life start. Time of the mile was 1:56.4.
Jul 31, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA —Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be lowering its takeout on Superfecta and Trifecta wagers beginning Monday, August 2.
The promotion of lowering the takeout percentage from 35 to 25 percent on both exotic wagers will last through the end of the 2010 harness racing season.
“We’re going to experiment with the new takeout ratio,” said Dale Rapson, vice president of racing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. “Our fans have been asking that we do so in order that they collect more on those winning tickets.
“It will be watched closely and we’ll take a look at our numbers following our last day of racing in November. We’re going to see what impact the takeout reduction will have on our live racing handle.
“I’m hoping that our move will be enthusiastically accepted by our fans here at the main track and at our off-track wagering sites along with all of our simulcast outlets throughout North America.”
Jul 28, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA —Omen Hanover, driven by Matt Kakaley, Wednesday night won her third open handicap pace for fillies and mares in the last four starts at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Her other start in the past few weeks in the same condition was a second place finish.
Leaving from the seven post in the eight-horse field, Omen Hanover was quickly taken to the front by Kakaley, getting to the opening quarter in 27 seconds, half in 55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.1. She won this open handicap pace for the gals with a 1:51.4 mile.
Nicholas Surick trains Omen Hanover, a six-year-old Western Hanover mare with 2010 earnings of more than $116,000.
Omen Hanover won by one and one-quarter lengths over Four Starz Horndog (Tony Morgan) with third place going to Billie Bluechip (Joe Pavia Jr.).
Quantum Bushman (Eric Goodell) won non-winners of 1 extended pari-mutuel trot with a time of 2:001 and paid $80.20 for a $2 wager.
Trained by Dottie Morone, this was the second life start for quantum Bushman, who got a pocket trip after leading at the quarter pole.
Jul 27, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA — In Focus, piloted by provisionary driver Jim Takter Jr., won the Open I Handicap Trot Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
It was young Takter’s second lifetime victory in five starts.
In Focus, the five-year-old SJ’s Photo gelding left from the one hole in the seven-horse field and sat second behind BigPepper (George Napolitano Jr.) with the opening split in 27 seconds and half in 57.
Takter tipped out and soon became the new leader down the backside with the three-quarters clicked off in 1:24.4. In Focus was a winner in 1:54.2. Second by a head was a fast closing Dennis (Andrew McCarthy) with third-place going to Grain Of Truth (Tom Jackson), only a quarter of a length back.
Farifant, piloted by McCarthy and trained by Anette Lorentzon, captured the Open II Trot with a time of 1:54.4.
This marked the third win in a row for Farifant at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Second to Farifant was Stand Guard (Napolitano Jr.), three lengths back with Badboy Paparazzi (Mike Simons) third.
There also was an Open III Trot on the 16-race card with that winner being P J Clark (Jim Morrill Jr.). P J Clark stopped the timer in 1:54 followed by Broadway Paige (Matt Kakaley) and All About Justice (Simons).
Laura Shock trains P J Clark, a winner for the sixth time in 19 starts in 2010.
Jul 24, 2010 | Racing
WILKES-BARRE, PA —Riggins, piloted by Tom Jackson and trained by Paul Reid, produced the third fastest mile in the history of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Saturday evening in winning the $24,000 open handicap pace.
Right from the get-go, Jackson took Riggins, assigned the eight hole, right to the top and was pressured by Jeremy’s Successor (George Napolitano Jr.) with both horses getting to the quarter in a blistering 25.4.
Riggins, looking for two straight at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack in open handicap company, grabbed the lead for good shortly thereafter, taking the eight-horse field to the half in 53 seconds flat and three-quarter mark in 1:20.2 before stopping the timer in 1:48.3.
The 1:48.3 is a new track mark by one full second for an aged pacing stallion and third fastest mile ever in track history.
Riggins won by one-half length over Jeremy’s Successor with third-place going to Where’s Waldo (Joe Pavia Jr.), two and one-quarter lengths back.
Previous track mark for aged pacing gelding was owned by Quality Western of 1:49.3 and established in June of 2007 with Jim Taggart Jr. in the sulky.
Only the three-year-old colt Shadow Play in August of 2008 and Pilgrims Toner, an aged pacing gelding, in May of this year, have gone faster with identical 1:48.2 times.
Shadow Play, with David Miller, won an Adios elimination race here in 2008 with construction going on at the Meadows while Brian Sears drove Pilgrims Toner in this year’s May race that produced the 1:48.2 miles.
Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, FL, own Riggins, a five-year-old Art Major stallion.
