Sep 5, 2019 | Racing
A world record for 1¼ miles on a 5/8-mile track was broken in last year’s inaugural edition of the Great Northeast Open Series (GNOS) Championships, and this coming Monday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, the world record at both gaits for the elongated distance, twice around the Pocono 5/8-mile oval, may be in jeopardy in this season’s three $100,000 Championships.
It was Homicide Hunter who lowered the record on the trot to 2:22.2 in winning his GNOS Championship, and the World’s Fastest Trotter returns to Pocono Monday for trainer Ron Burke and Crawford Farms Racing. The gelded son of Mr Cantab starts from post six in a field of seven in the eleventh race, with David Miller driving. 2019 has not been as kind to the Homicide Hunter as last year, when he went 1:48.4 at Lexington to become the fastest-ever at his gait, but the veteran does have a GNOS victory and looked good against lesser foes last time out, so he may be on a bounceback.
The horse to beat in the GNOS starts just outside of him, and is a stablemate – 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover, owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and J&T Silva Stables, and to be driven by Yannick Gingras. The daughter of Swan For All has won half of her eight seasonal starts, has beaten 1:51 twice, and was undefeated in two GNOS starts, including setting a Philly track record of 1:52 in winning the final prelim.
The pacing record for 1¼ miles is 2:19.4 (it is not kept separate by sex), and it appears to be under greater threat from the open pacers division, race twelve. The field is replete with high-percentage winners, one being Highalator (post seven, trainer Jenny Bier, driver Richard Still), 11-for-23 in 2019, who won three GNOS prelims, including last week’s, and is the year’s co-fastest horse on a 5/8-mile track over the mile in 1:48. A fellow three-time GNOS winner is None Bettor A (post eight, trainer Andrew Harris, driver George Napolitano Jr. listed), who is 10-for-14 this season, won nine in a row earlier in the year, and controlled a good Open field at Yonkers last time out.
Add in Backstreet Hanover, who lost a five-race winning streak last time out, and Prairie Panther, each of them a winner in half of their twenty seasonal starts, and you have many fast horses who know the way to get to the winners circle – it should be fascinating to see which one in the full field of nine will be able to work out the winning trip.
The #1-ranked harness horse, pacing mare Shartin N, is sticking to her intermittent racing pattern, so she is not in the mare pacing Championship (a race where she had a rough trip and faded last year). One distaff who will not regret her absence is the Bettor’s Delight mare Caviart Ally, who is having an excellent season in the shadow of the superstar – in fact, Caviart Ally has not lost a race that Shartin N did not win since “Ally”’s seasonal debut on April 30. She has given Shartin N some notable battles, and she may be in controlling position from post two in the tenth race field of seven for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling, and Caviart Farms.
Eclipse Me N, the horse who beat Caviart Ally in her 2019 bow, is still going strong over four months later, and she’ll have the “home field advantage” Monday in that she is trained by Rene Allard, leading trainer at Pocono; Rene’s brother Simon will be driving from post three.
In addition to these three outstanding races for the more seasoned performers, the Monday card will also feature eight $40,000 Championship events for Pennsylvania Stallion Series high preliminary pointwinners. Those races will be featured in a separate release.
Post time for the first of fourteen races at Pocono on Monday is 4 p.m.
Sep 30, 2013 | Racing
September 28, 2013
Dynamic Youth led much of the way and picked up the victory in Saturday night’s featured Preferred pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #3 in a field of nine as the 3-2 favorite, Dynamic Youth (Bettor’s Delight-Always True), a 4-year-old gelding from the Aaron Lambert barn, settled third around the first turn as Meirs Hanover took the lead. On the front stretch, driver Andrew McCarthy seized his opportunity and sent Dynamic Youth quickly to the lead before the clubhouse turn. He led from there, holding off a second move by Meirs Hanover in the stretch to win by a length in 1:49:2. Alsace Hanover finished third.
Dynamic Youth, owned by J&T Silva Stables, Kenneth Tucci, and C&G Racing Stable, won for the fifth time in 15 2013 races. It was his 14th career victory, pushing his lifetime earnings to $776,137.
Jun 23, 2013 | Racing
June 19, 2013
Jim Morrill Jr. is the leading driver at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Chris Oakes has been the best Pocono-based trainer on the national scene for about a decade now. On Wednesday night at Pocono, they turned the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes into their own personal playground.
The driver/trainer combo swept the three Sire Stakes divisions held for three-year-old trotting fillies behind standout performances from Lady Broadway, Frau Blucher, and Classic Martine. Each of the three divisions carried a purse of $77,790.
In the first split, Lady Broadway (Broadway Hall-Lady SJ) made the front end on the front stretch and survived a tight stretch scare from the fast-closing pair of True Valentine and Drink The Wine, who finished second and third respectively. The filly, owned by Susan Oakes, Conrad Zurich, and Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises, won by a half-length in 1:55:2. She now has three straight wins including two in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition.
Frau Blucher (Broadway Hall-My Angel) put on a show in the second Sire Stakes division with a scorching winning time of 1:52:3. Morrill guided her first-over to the lead on the back stretch and she rolled from there for a 1 ¾-length win over Coffeecake Hanover, with Curtsy Hanover picking up the show. Owned by Hauser Brothers, J&T Silva Stables, and Matt Tudisco, Frau Blucher is now a perfect three-for-three in 2013, with all of the victories coming in Sire Stakes competition.
In the final split, Classic Martine (Classic Photo-Drinking Days), who was making her first start for the Oakes barn, won a thrilling stretch battle with the game Royal Assets, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:53:1. Chiptomylou finished further back in third. Owned by Hauser Brothers, Zurich, and Earl Gold, Classic Martine was making her first start at Pocono since winning the Weiss Series back in May. She now has five wins in eight races this season.
Jul 14, 2012 | Racing
July 14, 2012
Three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot took center stage on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Each of the three divisions carried a purse of $99,438.
Despite being laid off since late May, Top Billing (Andover Hall-NY Starlet) survived a long first-over journey to score as the even-money favorite in the night’s first Sire Stakes division. The 3-year-old colt driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Julie Miller just nosed out Lindys Jersey Boy in 1:53:4, with Solvato finishing third. Top Billing, owned by Jason and Douglas Allen, won for the fourth time in six 2012 races.
In the second Sire Stakes split, My MVP (Cantab Hall-Exceed Expectation), the 1-5 favorite, worked hard to keep the lead after taking over on the back stretch and won by a half-length in 1:53:4. Magic Tonight finished second and Scary Good picked up the show. Mike LaChance drove My MVP for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brittany Farms, Modern Family Partners, and Joe Sbrocco, as the 3-year-old colt won for the third time this year and second time in Sire Stakes competition.
The final Sire Stakes of the night turned into a thrilling stretch duel between 1-9 favorite Stormin Normand and pocket horse Lightning Storm, with the favorite winning by a nose in 1:52:4. Modern Family finished 3rd. After finishing 2nd in both the Earl Beal Memorial and the Yonkers Trot, Stormin Normand (Broadway Hall-Idole Normand) came up with his eighth win in 12 lifetime starts. Matt Kakaley drove the colt to victory for trainer Jim Campbell and owner Fashion Farms LLC.
In other action on Saturday night, Dynamic Youth won a condition pace, and in so doing, broke a track record for three-year-old geldings on the pace. The previous Pocono record for the grouping of 1:49:4 was set by Goddess’s Justin back in 2008, but that mark went down when Dynamic Youth (Bettor’s Delight-Always True) tripped the line in 1:49:2 with Andrew McCarthy in the bike for trainer Aaron Lambert. The gelding, who hasn’t lost in three outings at Pocono this year, is owned by Ken Tucci, J&T Silva Stables, and C&G Racing Stable.
