Aug 26, 2014 | Racing
August 23, 2014
Mach It So and Golden Receiver raced to a dead heat for the win in Saturday night’s featured Preferred pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Mach It So (Mach Three-Beach Dancer), driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer PJ Fraley, appeared to have the race wrapped up when he kicked his cover at the top of the stretch and scooted to the lead. But Golden Receiver (Village Jove-Royal Gold), driven by Simon Allard for trainer Jake Huff, found another gear in the passing lane late and rallied to pull dead even with Mach It So as they crossed the line in 1:49:4. Clint Westwood finished third, while, in a racing oddity, Word Power and Big Time Promise were Inseparable at the line for fifth place, making it the rare harness race with two separate dead heats.
In other action on Saturday night, Maven (Glidemaster-M Stewart), the only mare up against the field of boys in the $25,000 Preferred Handicap trot, powered up first over to corral a hot pace and score by a length in 1:52:3. Trained by Jonas Czernyson and driven by Mark MacDonald, Maven, the 5-2 second choice in a field of eight, won for the second time this year and 27th in her career, pushing her lifetime earnings to $1,481,796. Waiting On A Woman finished second wile 6-5 favorite Sevruga settled for 3rd.
Aug 11, 2014 | Racing
August 1-7, 2014
At this point in the season, it’s typical for 3-year-old horses at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs to be battling against others of their own age in Stallion Series or Sire Stakes action. Yet our two top performers of the week that was at Pocono dared to take on older horses. Not only did they survive, but they thrived. Here are the details of both their exploits and those of the other top performers as we hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: LUCK BE WITHYOU
This 3-year-old colt from the Chris Oakes’ barn started the season in Canada but quickly found a home at Pocono with a condition win on June 28 in 1:50:1. He then battled his way to a 7th in finals of the prestigious Meadowlands Pace before returning for an even more impressive victory in a blistering 1:48 on July 19.
On Saturday night, Luck Be Withyou faced his sternest test yet by going up against the non-winners of $22,500 in the last five races grouping. Among the competitors he would have to face were Meirs Hanover and Bolt The Duer, a pair of veterans as talented and as tested as there are in the sport. If the relative inexperience of Luck Be Withyou was ever going to be a factor, this was the race.
At the top of the stretch, the 3-year-old was staring at the tail of Bolt The Duer, who had set the pace and done so in reasonable fractions. Yet Luck Be With You was ready for the challenge when driver George Napolitano Jr. asked for another gear. He sped by a stunned Bolt The Duer and held off fast-closing E Street Plan for the win in 1:49:2. Even though the time wasn’t as flashy as his previous win, this victory was the best evidence yet of this sophomore’s incredible talent.
Other top pacers this week include: Show Runner (George Napolitano Jr., Lou Pena), a mare whose victory in Friday night’s featured condition pace in a career-best 1:50:3 was her second straight win; Gold Deuce (George Napolitano Jr., Lou Pena), who powered to a win over $10,000 claimers on Saturday night in 1:50:4, a career-best and his third straight win; and Mach It So (Andrew McCarthy, PJ Fraley), who picked up a win in Saturday night’s featured Preferred Handicap pace in 1:48:2, a new career-best and the fastest time posted this week at MSPD.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: REVRAC HARBOUR
This award was probably a little overdue for this 3-year-old colt from the barn of trainer Tony Alagna. From June 3 to July 1, he ripped off four consecutive wins at Pocono, topping out with a back-to-back career-best miles of 1:54:1 in wins over the non-winners of four condition. He traveled to the Meadowlands after that and struggled against some of the top trotters in the country in a pair of stakes races.
Revrac Harbour returned on Tuesday night to face all older horses in a non-winners of $13,000 in the last five starts condition trot. Back at Pocono again, he found his stride quickly by making a move to the front end early in the race. Yet Picture This, the race favorite, lurked behind him in the pocket for much of the mile and enjoyed a much better trip.
In the stretch, Picture This took to the inside passing lane and briefly seemed like he was about to get past. That’s when driver Scott Zeron coaxed just a little extra effort from an already-taxed Revrac Harbour, who dug in and surged back in front in the final strides in 1:55:4 on a sloppy track. That makes it five wins in the last five races he’s started at Pocono, with this maybe the gutsiest yet.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Zooming (Tyler Buter, Amber Buter),who shipped in from New York for a condition win on Saturday in 1:51:4, easily the week’s fastest trotting time; Waldorf Hall (Corey Callahan, Jim Raymer), who churned through the slop for a condition win on Tuesday in 1:53:4; and Swiss Lightning (Anthony Napolitano, Kevin Lare), who ripped off his fourth straight claiming victory on Wednesday night in 1:54:4, matching his career-best in the process.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: RESCUE PLAN
It’s not often George Napolitano Jr., the meet’s leading driver, pilots a long shot, but this condition pacer was at 42-1 when G-Nap steered him to victory on Tuesday night for a $87.60 win payout on a $2 ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.
Who else could it be this other than George Nap, considering that he won seven of the thirteen races on the card on Saturday and nearly pulled off a 20-win week.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: CHRISTIE COLLINS
Collins’ barn has been steadily gaining momentum in the summer months, and her trainees picked up three more wins this week, including a double on Friday.
That will do it for it this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Aug 1, 2014 | Racing
July 26, 2014
Dancin Yankee earned his sixth win in a row against elite competition with a victory in Saturday night’s featured Preferred Handicap pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
Dancin Yankee (Yankee Cruiser-Dancewiththebest), a six-year-old stallion trained by Amber Buter, was assigned the outside post in the field of six and was made the 3-5 favorite. He settled fourth early as the lead changed hands three times. Driver Tyler Buter set him in motion on the back stretch and he corralled pacesetting Aracache Hanover at the top of the home stretch. Dancin Yankee then paced away to win by two lengths over Mach It So in 1:48:4. Bolt The Duer finished third.
The six-race winning streak of Dancin Yankee, owned by Rich Lombardo and Baron Racing Stable, includes four straight at Pocono. He now has 14 wins in 21 races this season, 38 lifetime victories, and career earnings of $900,962.
May 30, 2014 | Racing
May 17, 2014
Dancin Yankee won the $25,000 Preferred pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, but the real story was his time, which was the fastest ever at Pocono and matched the world record for fastest pace on a 5/8-mile oval.
Fresh off a win in the Van Rose Memorial pace at Pocono in his previous start, Dancin Yankee (Yankee Cruiser-Dancewiththebest), the 4-5 favorite from an outside post in a field of six, took over the lead with a blinding burst of speed on the front stretch. With Brett Miller in the bike, the 6-year-old stallion from the Josh Green barn had to endure a first-over challenge on the back stretch from Mach It So and a home stretch battle from pocket horse Clear Vision, eventually prevailing over the latter by a neck with Feel Like A Fool finishing third.
The fractional times for the mile were :26, :52:2, 1:20:1, and 1:47:2. That winning time broke Pocono’s all-time mark of 1:47:4, which was accomplished three times in 2013. It also matched the fastest mile ever paced on a 5/8-mile oval, which was first set last year by Pet Rock at Scioto Downs. In addition, Dancin Yankee sets a new world record for aged stallions on the pace with the winning time.
Dancin Yankee, owned by Baron Racing Stable and Richard Lombardo, won for the 8th time in 14 races this season. He now has 32 lifetime victories and career earnings of $778,922.
