Jun 18, 2013 | Racing
June 16, 2013
It wasn’t a good night for the favorites in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Sunday night. All three divisions, each of which carried a purse of $79,816, for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot were won by horses who weren’t the top betting choice.
In the first division, Valley Of Sin, the 4-1 second choice, made a big-3-wide move on the back stretch to get to the front and then held off favorite High Bridge in the stretch for the victory in 1:54:1. Mike Wilder was in the bike for trainer John Butenschoen. High Bridge had to settle for second while All Laid Out picked up the show. Valley Of Sin won his second straight at Pocono.
Dontyouforgetit was the 9-2 third choice in the second Sire Stakes division, but he blew by favorite Smoother Ride in the stretch after a pocket trip for the win in 1:54:1. Yannick Gingras drove for trainer Jimmy Takter. Smoother Ride was second and Spider Blue Chip third. Dontyouforgetuit now has wins in back-to-back races after a win at The Meadows in his previous start.
In the final Sire Stakes split. 9-2 shot Celebrity Maserati overcame the outside post thanks to a furious stretch rally to victory in 1:54:4. Tom Jackson was in the bike for trainer Susanne Strandqvist. Aperfectyankee finished second while Picture This got the show. Celebrity Maserati bounced back from his first loss of the season and now has won four of five in 2013.
Form held in Sunday night’s other featured race at Pocono, as 7-5 favorite Drop The Ball grinded first over and wore down Radar Contact to win by a neck in 1:50:1 in a $25,000 Preferred pace for mares. Corey Callahan did the driving for trainer Ross Croghan. Romantic Moment finished third. It was the first win of the year for Drop The Ball, who had been in three rugged stakes races in a row prior to her journey to Pocono.
Mar 29, 2013 | Racing
March 27, 2013
Daggett, Jurgen Hanover, and Maximum Credit scored wins in the first leg of the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The races each carried a purse of $15,000.
Daggett (Chocolatier-Elena Victory), with Marcus Miller in the bike for John Butenschoen, parlayed a pocket trip into a victory in the first split, scoring in 1:58:2. In the second division, Jurgen Hanover (Credit Winner-Yassi Hanover) romped to win in 1:56:1, the fastest of the times in the first leg of the series. David Miller did the driving for trainer Donna Marshall. The final split was captured by Maximum Credit (Credit Winner-Marjorie Hall), as George Napolitano Jr. drove him to a frontrunning win for trainer Paul Kennedy in 1:58:2.
May 22, 2012 | Racing
May 18, 2012
Friday At Five kicked off the Stallion Series at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for 2012 with a bang on Friday night, scorching the track for a win in 1:50 in the first of seven divisions for three-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. Each of the seven divisions carried a purse of $20,000.
Friday At Five, with Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike for trainer Tom Fanning, was much the best in winning his split , the first of the night, by 5 ¾ lengths. His winning time of 1:50 was not only a career-best but it was the fastest ever managed at Pocono in a Stallion Series race.
The other division winners were: E Z Noah (Tyler Buter, John Butenschoen) in 1:51; Whirl Monroe (Joe Pavia Jr., George Teague Jr.) in 1:51; Carol’s Comet (Matt Kakaley, Ron Potter) in 1:53; Real Infusion (George Napolitano Jr., Rich Gillock) in 1:50:2; Top Of The Mark (George Napolitano Jr., Rich Gillock) in 1:51:4; and Rage N Ryan (Joe Pavia Jr., Justin Lebo) in 1:52:2.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action debuts at Pocono on Saturday night, with three divisions to be held for the 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. The highlight will be the 2012 debut of Sweet Lou, the 2011 Breeders Crown champion for his age group.
