Aug 1, 2012 | Racing
July 20-26, 2012
The racing action at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs has reached a fever pitch. This 2012 season had produced the fastest times and some of the best performances in track history. As a result, it’s getting harder and harder to pick out the very best of the best each week. We’ll give it a shot anyway with this edition of the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: SPLENDID KISSER
Winning streaks in the sport of harness racing are hard to come by. Not only does a horse have to be on top of its game, but it also has to avoid difficult trips that make winning a tough proposition. It’s even tougher to sustain a winning streak when a horse in moving up in class along the way. That’s why Splendid Kisser’s recent streak needs to be honored.
Splendid Kisser, an 8-year-old gelding from the barn of Chris Oakes, has been outstanding all season long, but he really got rolling with a win against the $10,000 claimers on June 30. He followed that up in rapid succession with wins in the $12,500 and $20,000 claiming classes, each time as a heavy favorite, each time in dominant front-running style.
On Saturday night, the gelding faced the $20,000 claimers but this time had to do it from the dreaded #9 post, which is usually bad news for horses with early speed. For Splendid Kisser, it was no sweat. He once again rolled to the front, and, with George Napolitano Jr. in the bike, held off the challenge of the pocket horse to win by a length in a speedy 1:50:2. That’s four wins in four weeks in three different classes for Splendid Kisser, a claimer whom you just don’t want to face right about now.
Other top pacers this week include: Bettors Glass (Andrew McCarthy, Scott Di Domenico), who followed up a win at Harrah’s with a monster mile in a victory at Pocono at Saturday night in 1:48:4, the fastest pacing time of the week; Pair A Dice (Tyler Buter, Paul Holzman), who won his second straight on Saturday night at the top of our claiming ladder and matched a career-best in the process with a mile of 1:50:1; and Breakheart Pass (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who won her second straight on Tuesday night against the toughest distaff condition pacers on the grounds, this time in 1:50:3.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: ANDERS BLUESTONE
It looked for all the world like this award would belong to Sevruga, a powerful 4-year-old who had been beating everyone in his path in the past few months at Pocono. One of those horses who had come up short against him was Anders Bluestone, finishing second to Sevruga in his last two tries.
Yet Anders Bluestone’s record coming into Sunday night’s featured trot for winners of over $25,000 lifetime was no joke, with 8 wins in 16 tries and $139,800 in the bank this year alone. Driver George Napolitano Jr. decided try a different tactic and send the 6-year-old stallion from the barn of Eric Ell to the front and make Sevruga do the coming from behind for a change.
The strategy worked like charm. Thanks to an expert rate job by Napolitano, Anders Bluestone was still extremely sharp in the latter part of the mile, finishing strong to win by a half-length in 1:52:4. Sevruga will likely have his chance to win this award, but Anders Bluestone won this battle in what is shaping up as a tremendous trotting rivalry at Pocono.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Zooming (Andy Miller, Julie Miller), who arrived from The Meadowlands and smoked a condition trotting group on Sunday night in 1:52:3, a new career-mark and the fastest trotting time of the week; Mr Mcrail (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who won two straight at The Meadows and then added to the streak with a claiming handicap win at Pocono on Sunday night in 1:54; and Idadazzle (Matt Kakaley, David Duspiva), whose claiming win in 1:56:3 on Tuesday night was his third straight and 11th victory this year.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: CITY RIDGE
Coming in from The Meadows, this trotter came up flying late with Mike Simons in the bike to upset a field of $10,000 claimers on Tuesday night at 32-1, paying off $67.60 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MATT ROMANO
A longtime fan favorite at Pocono, Matt picked up his 2,500 career victory in memorable fashion Saturday night, staging a furious rally aboard Amillionpennies, a horse he also trains.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: BREWER ADAMS
Adams has been a major player in the training wars all season long at Pocono. He scored a double on Saturday night to continue his excellent year.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jul 20, 2012 | Racing
July 13-19, 2012
We have had such a bushelful of big-time stakes races of late at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs that I’ve devoted much of the space in these columns to those races. All the while, our overnight racing has raged on with the same intensity it has displayed all season. With that in mind, let’s turn the focus back on those races this week and get back to handing out our Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: DYNAMIC YOUTH
It’s seems like we can’t go more than a few nights without another track record falling. On Saturday night, it was one of our longest-standing records in this era of speed at Pocono that went by the wayside, courtesy of 3-year-old pacing gelding Dynamic Youth. The gelding loves Pocono, as evidenced by his two straight wins to start his season here in the spring.
Following that success, trainer Aaron Lambert took him to his home state of New York, where Dynamic Youth hit the board often but couldn’t break through in Sire Stakes competition. Back at Pocono, he faced all older horses in a tough condition for non-winners of $15,000 in the last three starts. Driver Andrew McCarthy wisely kept him off a blistering pace early, but, as the race progressed, the gelding started to pick off horses.
In the stretch, only Amillionpennies stood in his way, and Dynamic Youth blew by him to win by 1 ¾ lengths. His winning time for the mile, a scorching 1:49:2, broke the record for 3-year-old geldings on the pace of 1:49:4 that was set by Goddess’s Justin way back in 2008. Maybe this record-breaker will stick around Pocono a bit longer this time.
Other top pacers this week include: Hrubys N Luck (George Napolitano Jr., Cad Gregory), who jumped in class on Saturday to win a condition pace, his third straight victory, in 1:50; Splendid Kisses (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), who stepped up all the way to the $20,000 claimers and still picked up his third straight easy win on Saturday night in 1:51:3; and Kel’s Return (George Napolitano Jr., Pierre Paradis), who won his third straight and sixth in his last seven with a claiming victory on Tuesday night in 1:52:3.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: HE’S SPOOKY
Moving up in class is always a treacherous bit of business in harness racing, especially at the top rungs of the competitive ladder. Yet He’s Spooky was determined to move into our top condition class of winners of over $25,000 lifetime on Sunday night and do so in style.
The 5-year-old stallion from the Frank Antonacci barn made his first appearance at Pocono on July 8 after arriving from Canada and promptly beat a tough condition group in a career-best 1:52:2. In that start, he had an excellent trip, but, on Sunday night, driver Matt Kakaley sent him right to the front and dared everyone to play catch-up.
Each time a competitor would make a tentative move to the outside to challenge, He’s Spooky would pick up the pace and dissuade them. In the stretch, there was nobody close enough to make a serious move and the gelding rolled to a three-length win in 1:53:1. He’s Spooky made moving up in class seem so easy that everybody might want to do it.
Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Wingbat (Matt Kakaley, Antonino Gristina), a mare who reeled off her second straight condition victory on Friday night, this one in 1:54:4; H And M’s Hit (Matt Kakaley, David Duspiva), who moved up in class and won a condition on Friday night, his second straight victory, in 1:54; and Holier Than Thou (Yannick Gingras, Jonas Czernyson), whose victory in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition on Wednesday night came in a time of 1:53:1, which broke the track record and matched the world record for 3-year-old fillies on the trot.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: IT’SABOUTTIME
Just a few weeks after winning at 42-1, this pacer with John Kakaley in the bike stunned a group of $10,000 claimers on Sunday night with a win at 33-1, paying off $69.80 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: YANNICK GINGRAS
Gingras captured two of the three big-purse divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes held on Wednesday night, continuing his excellence in the most lucrative races at Pocono.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: AARON LAMBERT
Lambert had an impressive training double on Saturday night. In addition to the track record he scored with Dynamic Youth, he also had the night’s featured pace winner in Townslight Hanover at 19-1.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jul 13, 2012 | Racing
July 6-12, 2012
One of the most fun parts of any racing season occurs when the younger horses take center stage. These stars of tomorrow are often green in terms of experience but great in terms of talent. From July 3-8, Grand Circuit Week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs featured some outstanding 2 and 3-year-old trotters and pacers in the Pennsylvania All-Stars races. Let’s take a look at each of the eight classes that were held over those five nights of racing, an exciting week that showcased potential for the future and thrilling racing in the present.
2-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS & GELDINGS
Santa Fe Beachboy kicked off Grand Circuit Week with a bang last Tuesday, winning in a blistering time of 1:52 in his first start ever, a time that would hold up as the fastest in the class. That set the tone for six $25,000 divisions of this class in which several heavy favorites dominated their splits. Trainer Ray Schnittker had two of those heavy favorites, Red Rock and Cowboy Terrier, who each won in their debut races. Both of those winners were driven by Tim Tetrick, who added a third winner in the class with Lone Wolf Currier, who followed up a win at Harrah’s with a convincing win in 1:53:1.
2-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS & GELDINGS
As you might expect, this grouping, which held six $25,000 divisions last Tuesday, was dominated by a guy who always has a barn full of superb young trotters: Trainer Jimmy Takter. Jimmy also did the driving and picked up three victories with High Bridge, Atlas Peak, and Dontyouforgetit, all of whom won their debuts with relative ease. Takter wasn’t the only trainer with something to smile about in this class. David Wade looks like he has a star on his hands with easy winner Tigress’s Legacy, and Rich Gillock sent out Major Athens, who rolled with David Miller in the bike to the group’s fastest winning time of 1:56.
2-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES
Seven divisions of freshman fillies hit the track last Wednesday for their $25,000 All-Stars races. A couple of horses moved to 2-for-2 in their young careers with wins, as Somstreetsomwhere and Banner Beach Day turned the trick. It was a first-time starter who turned in the fastest time of the night, however, as Antigua Hanover, trained by Mark Harder and piloted by Jim Morrill Jr., scored in 1:53:3. Morrill also played a part in the grouping’s biggest upset, driving Binding Desire to a surprising win at odds of 11-1.
2-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES
The most impressive performance in this class, which held four $35,000 divisions on Friday night, belonged to Fashion Athena. Despite it being her debut race, this filly with Andrew McCarthy driving for Jim Campbell rallied to win her split in a sizzling 1:55:1, less than a second off the track record for her age and gender. Driver Matt Kakaley had two of the other winners, scoring with Good Intentions and Frau Blucher.
3-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS AND GELDINGS
A late rain storm on Saturday night meant that two of the three $50,000 divisions of this class were held in the slop. That didn’t slow down either Star Recruit or I Like Dreamin, who each won in the off-going in identical times of 1:51:4. Mcerlean, driven my Matt Kakaley for trainer Trond Smedshammer, scored in the one split on a fast track in 1:51:1.
3-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS AND GELDINGS
The big star in the three $50,000 divisions held Saturday night was Uncle Peter, who couldn’t get by Googoo Gaagaa in the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial but atoned for it with a sizzling win in the All-Stars in 1:52:3 for Jimmy Takter. Takter also scored with Nothing But Class early in the night, a notable win because it was the colt’s maiden victory.
3-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES
Driver Dave Palone, making his first appearance at Pocono since breaking North America’s all-time record for driving wins, picked up victories in two of the five $32,000 divisions of this class on Sunday night, winning with Lady Andi and On The Bright Side. Tim Tetrick also scored twice in this class, once aboard Can’t Have My Moni, and once aboard Oasis Dream, a 16-1 shot whose mile of 1:54 was just one-fifth of a second off the track record for the age group.
3-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES
Of the three $50,000 divisions held in this class Sunday night, Moonlit Dragon, driven by Eric Carlson and trained by Bruce Saunders, went the fastest, winning her split in a sizzling career-best time of 1:50:4. The other winners were Kiss Dont Bite, with Andy Miller in the bike for Noel Daley, and Podges Lady, who won despite a month layoff for trainer Joe Seekman and driver Eric Ledford.
All in all, it was another fantastic Grand Circuit Week at Pocono. Next week, we’ll get back to our Weekly Awards for the overnight races. Until then, we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jul 8, 2012 | Racing
July 7, 2012
Meirs Hanover matched a track record at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with his victory in 1:48:1 in Saturday night’s featured Open pace. The race carried a purse of $50,000.
Meirs Hanover, a 5-year-old stallion from the Ron Burke barn looking for a bounce back after breaking stride in the Ben Franklin final due to interference, left from post position #2 in the field of eight as a 6-1 shot and found the pocket early behind pacesetting 6-5 favorite Golden Receiver. The leader had to fight off pressure from Rockincam on the front stretch and Dial Or Nodial on the back, leading to sizzling fractions of 26:1, 53:2, and 1:20:1.
In the stretch, driver Matt Kakaley tipped Meirs Hanover into the passing lane and he rallied past the game Golden Receiver to win by a half-length. Special T Rocks came on for 3rd. The winning time of 1:48:1 matched the Pocono record for aged pacing stallions that was set just two weeks ago in the Franklin eliminations by Aracache Hanover.
Meirs Hanover, the offspring of Artsplace and Mary Mattgalane and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Van Dusen, Cimaglio, and Strollin Stable, won for the 4th time in 14 2012 races. It was his 21st career victory, giving him lifetime earnings of $460,207.
In addition to the Open pace, Grand Circuit Week continued at Pocono with three $50,000 divisions each of the 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot and on the pace. On the trotting side, the winners were: Fashion Astral (Broadway Hall-Lindy Lane), owned by Fashion Farms LLC, trained by Jim Campbell, and driven by Matt Kakaley, in 1:54:4; Nothing But Class (Andover Hall-Bold Dreamer), owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Louie Camara, and Jan Hoibye, and trained and driven by Jimmy Takter, in 1:54:2; and Uncle Peter (Cantab Hall-Victory Treasure), owned by Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, and Falkbolagen Ab, and trained and driver by Jimmy Takter, in 1:52:3.
On the pacing side, the winners were Mcerlean (McArdle-Igottwowordsforyou), owned by Muscara Racing Trust, trained by Trond Smedshammer, and driven by Matt Kakaley, in 1:51:1; Star Recruit (Dragon Again-Remarkable Star), owned by Carter, Carter, Reid, and Grubbs, trained by Bruce Riegle, and driven by Tony Hall, in 1:51:4; and I Like Dreamin (McArdle-I’m Not Dreamin), owned by Lomangino Standardbreds and Leo Lomangino, trained by Sam DePinto, and driven by George Napolitano Jr., in 1:51:4.
Jul 6, 2012 | Racing
July 4, 2012
Antigua Hanover’s victory in 1:53:3 was the fastest of seven divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars races held on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for 2-year-old fillies on the pace. Each of the races carried a purse of $30,000.
Antigua Hanover, driven By Jim Morrill Jr. for trainer Mark Harder, managed to win her split in what was her first lifetime start. Other PA All-Stars winners on Wednesday night included Live Entertainment (Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter) in 1:53:4; Sweet Talia (George Napolitano Jr., Steve Schoeffel) in 1:54:4; Somstreetsomwhere (David Miller, Joe Holloway) in 1:55:2; Banner Beach Day (Gingras, Michael Hall) in 1:53:3; Miss Madi M (David Miller, Brian Brown) in 1:55:1; and Binding Desire (Jim Morrill Jr., Bruce Riegle) in 1:55:2.
The Pennsylvania All-Stars Races are the highlight of Grand Circuit Week at Pocono, which continues through racing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
