Oct 9, 2019 | Racing
October 5-11, 2019
One of the fun things about the racing action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun is how, year after year, we see a lot of the same horses coming back to perform well. That allows the fans to develop a relationship with these performers over time, a relationship that can really intensify with horses that race effectively to the point where they approach 10 or so years old. Case in point: the horse who leads off the Weekly Awards this week and has been doing damage at Pocono for years and years.
PACER OF THE WEEK: SCOTT ROCKS
It wouldn’t have felt right if we made it through an entire season at Pocono without Scott Rocks capturing Pacer of the Week honors. The nine-year-old gelding has probably won more Saturday night features than any other horse in the track’s history, and he just keeps rolling. He picked up a win in the featured $21,500 condition pace on September 28 in a season-best 1:49:3, and he was right back at it again last Saturday night in that class, leaving from an outside post in a field of six.
Even though he was coming off the win in the same class, and even though he’s proven himself again and again at the Pocono over, Scott Rocks, trained by Hunter Oakes, went off as the 9-5 second choice on the board. The favorite was Western Joe, an equally classy pacer who was coming off two straight wins at Pocono, the previous one in a scorching 1:48:2. It figured to be a showdown between these two, and that’s just what materialized.
Western Joe set the pace after taking the lead from Scott Rocks on the first turn. The fractions that he set were quick but reasonable, but he was never able to open up any kind of margin on Scott Rocks. In the stretch, George Napolitano Jr., who was been the driver for the vast majority of the Pocono wins for Scott Rocks, tipped him to the outside. Scott Rocks nosed out Western Joe in a thrilling stretch duel for the victory in 1:50:2, adding to the incredible record he has forged at his favorite track of all.
Other top pacers this week include: Clarebear (Eric Carlson, Michael Russo), who moved up in class on Tuesday night for her second straight victory at Pocono, this time capturing the featured condition pace for mares in 1:52:1; Burning Midnight (George Napolitano Jr., Lou Pena), who moved up in class for his second straight condition win on Saturday night, getting it done in 1:52:3; and Twin B Tuffenuff (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), who captured his second straight condition pacing win on Sunday night, getting it done in 1:50:1.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: JOEY PRO
This five-year-old gelding has really taken to Pocono since shipping in from New York. He reeled off back-to-back condition wins immediately upon arrival, both from unforgiving #8 post positions. First Joey Pro, trained by John Hallett, handled an $8,500 condition group on the front end to win on September 22 in 1:55:3. He followed it up by beating the $11,000 condition trotters a week later in a new career-best time of 1:54:4, this time using a pocket trip to get it done.
On Sunday night at Pocono, Joey Pro stepped up in class again, this time taking on a $14,000 condition class from the #7 post in a field of eight. Moving up the condition ladder is never easy, but it was especially daunting this time around as the field contained a pair of million-dollar earners in Zooming and DW’s NY Yank. The latter set the pace as the 6-5 favorite, while Joey Pro, at 8-1, found the pocket seat early.
DW’s NY Yank had to endure a strong first-over challenge to his lead from Archibald. Meanwhile, Anthony Napolitano waited patiently for his chance with Joey Pro before finally getting a chance to cut him loose in the passing lane. Joey Pro surged even with DW’s NY Yank and then stepped past, getting up to win by three parts of a length in the process. On top of winning his third straight, he also reset his career mark with a mile of 1:54:3.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: TSM Photo Bugger (Fern Paquet Jr., Karen Fread), who churned out his second straight condition win on Sunday night, this one in 1:54:4; Hill Of A Horse (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), whose condition win on Sunday night in 1:54:3 was a career-best; and Boss Du Fosse (George Napolitano Jr., Mark Silva), who followed up back-to-back wins at Harrah’s at Philadelphia with a claiming handicap victory at Pocono on Saturday night in 1:55:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: BUTTER TOFFEE
You might say it was a sweet victory for this trotter trained and driven by Alex Kavoleff, especially at odds of 21-1 on a Monday condition victory for a $2-win payout of $45.20.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.
As the season comes to close, George Nap, well on his way to another Pocono driving title, is intensifying the pace, as evidenced by his eight-win night on Saturday.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: MARK SILVA
Silva enjoyed an excellent weekend at Pocono, following up a training double on Saturday night with another victory on Sunday night in the featured condition trot with Scirocco Rob.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Oct 2, 2019 | Racing
September 28 to October 4, 2019
October is upon us, which means that we have only about a month-and-a-half left of live racing in the 2019 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The lingering warm weather has helped to keep the action lightning-quick, however. As a matter of fact, we witnessed several sub-1:50 miles on Saturday night. It was another difficult week to narrow down the Weekly Awards candidates, but we gave it a shot anyway.
PACER OF THE WEEK: WESTERN JOE
Technically, the feature race each night is supposed to be the one that carries the highest purse. On Saturday night, that was the $21,500 condition pace, which was won by veteran standout Scott Rocks. But the field in the $17,500 condition pace that immediately preceded it on the card on Saturday night had a feature feel to it. Five of the nine had earned over six figures a year ago, and many in the field seem well on their way to that threshold this year as well.
The even-money favorite was Dealt A Winner, with over $1.2 million in career earnings. Springsteen, winner of the 2018 Max Hempt Pace at Pocono, was the second choice. And Western Joe, a big earner for the past several years and winner of a $14,000 condition pace at Pocono in his previous race, went off as the 3-1 third choice. Dealt A Winner set a hot pace trying to shake off the field, but Western Joe stayed attached to him in the pocket.
In the stretch, Dealt A Winner tried to summon up a little bit more oomph to hold on to the victory. But Western Joe, a five-year-old gelding trained by Chris Choate, was way too full of pace to be held back. With driver Pat Berry guiding him home, he powered past Dealt A Winner to pick up the victory in a scorching 1:48:2, faster than any other pacer this week at Pocono. With two straight wins, Western Joe has been a featured performer, even if he wasn’t quite in the feature race.
Other top pacers this week include: Torrid Bromac N (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who picked up his second straight claiming victory and sixth in his last eight races overall on Saturday night with a victory in 1:51:2; Seel The Deal N (George Napolitano Jr., Jennifer Lappe), who moved up in class on Saturday night to win his second straight condition pace, putting up a career-best time of 1:50:3 in the process; and Outlast Blue Chip (Kevin Wallis, Eddie Sager), who moved up the condition ladder for his second straight win on Saturday night, scoring in 1:51:3.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: PAT MATTERS
Sunday night’s $21,500 featured condition trot was contested by only six horses. But it seemed like every one of them came in on an impressive streak. The field included Scirocco Rob, who took home Trotter of the Week honors at Pocono last week after winning two straight against the best trotters on the grounds. But Pat Matters, a four-year-old mare trained by Nifty Norman, came in on a pretty impressive two-race winning streak of her one.
In the first of those wins, she scored at Harrah’s at Philadelphia with a new career-best winning time of 1:52:2. She then matched that time with a victory over the $17,500 condition grouping at Pocono. On Sunday night, she left from post position #5 in the field of six as the 8-5 second choice. Scirocco Rob, who went off as the even-money choice, hustled to the lead early, but Pat Matters, with Eric Goodell doing the driving, found the pocket seat behind him.
As they rounded the final turn, it was clear that Pat Matters was itching to be cut loose. Goodell did just that and she moved to the outside, sweeping by Scirocco Rob to take the late lead. But it wasn’t easy sailing from there, as Whats The Word and Joey Bats both made strong late plays to take over. But Pat Matters had the final answer, holding off Whats The Word to win it by a half-length. Talk about consistency: Her third straight win came in 1:52:2, the exact winning time of the other two.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Joey Pro (Anthony Napolitano, John Hallett), who moved up in class to win his second straight condition trot since arriving from New York, getting it done in a career-best 1:54:4; TT Conway (Tom Jackson trainer and driver), who rolled to his second straight condition win on Sunday night, this one matching a career-best of 1:56; and Nice Stuff (Marcus Miller, Bucky Angle Jr.), whose condition win on Tuesday was her second in her last three races at Pocono and came in a career-best time of 1:54:1.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ALWAYS AT MY PLACE
A million-dollar earner in his career, Always At My Place still was unheralded as he captured a condition pace on Saturday night at 18-1 with Jim Taggart Jr. in the bike for a $38 payout on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ERIC CARLSON
With a victory on Tuesday afternoon with pacing mare Velocity McSweets, Carlson became the sixth driver to hit the 100-win plateau for the 2019 racing meet at Pocono.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: BOB BAGGITT JR.
Baggitt made the most of limited opportunity, picking up a training double on Monday and then adding another win on Tuesday for victories with the only three starters he sent to the gate this past week.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
