Aug 21, 2019 | Racing
August 17 to 23, 2019
This past week at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono was filled with stakes action once again. We featured both Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings (Sunday) and two-year-old trotting fillies (Monday.) In addition, we enjoyed another round of the Great Northeast Open series on Saturday night, this time with the Open pacers taking a center stage. A busy week to be sure, and one that provides us with many candidates for this edition of the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: AFLAME HANOVER
This three-year-old colt from the barn of Linda Schadel has been tearing it up of late in condition paces. And that’s understandable, considering the kind of competition he faced earlier in the year. Facing extremely long odds in both the North America Cup in Canada and the Max Hempt Memorial Pace at Pocono, Aflame Hanover snuck in for fourth-place finishes in both, managing to get his handlers pretty substantial payback in the process.
When he returned to overnight racing, he was ready to flex his muscle. First up was a victory at Pocono on July 29 over non-winners of two. Then he headed over to Harrah’s at Philadelphia for a victory over non-winners of three. His quest for three in a row brought him back to Pocono on Sunday night, where he went off as the 3-5 favorite in a field of eight non-winners of four for a purse of $15,000. Leaving from post position #2, Aflame Hanover swooped Rickybobbyinthehaus to take the lead on the first turn.
From there, there were really no anxious moments. Driver Andrew McCarthy rated the pace at a solid level, so that Aflame Hanover didn’t overexert himself but also so that nobody could put a real challenge to him with a first-over move. In the home stretch, the colt solidified his lead, holding off the closing A Bettor Beach to pick up the win by 2 ¼ lengths. The winning time of 1:51:2 on a track listed in good condition was a new career-mark for Aflame Hanover, who just keeps getting stronger each time out.
Other top pacers this week include: T’s Electric (Tyler Buter, Emily Bost) who picked up his third straight claiming handicap win on Sunday night, getting it done in the slop in 1:53:4; Backstreet Shadow (Pat Berry, Ron Burke), who followed up three wins in a row elsewhere by shipping in and capturing Saturday night’s division of the Great Northeast Open Series pace in 1:49:2 in the slop; and Derecho (George Napolitano Jr., Gilberto Garcia-Herrera), who moved up in class to win his second straight condition pace on Saturday night, this one in 1:52:4 in the sloppy conditions.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: VERY VERY FAST
Whoever named this trotter must have had a very good premonition of what was to come in his racing career. Now aged 10, Very Very Fast has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, back on July 14 at Pocono, the gelding set a career-best with at Pocono with a win in 1:52:2. A few weeks later, he stepped up into the $21,500 condition trotting group and managed another victory, this one in 1:53:2. Last week he very nearly missed capturing an Open Handicap trot at Tioga, finishing second from an outside post.
He returned to Pocono on Sunday night to once again face off with the $21,500 condition trotters. And it was a stout field he faced. In fact, despite all his recent success at Pocono, Very Very Fast went off as a 7-2 third choice. Leaving from post position #2 in a field of eight, he was sent immediately to the front end by driver Tim Tetrick in the sloppy conditions. Even though he was rated well, however, the 6-5 favorite Scirocco Rob seemed to be a major threat as he lurked in the pocket for much of the mile.
In the stretch, Tetrick asked Very Very Fast for more juice and the veteran provided it. When Scirocco Rob tried to respond, he went off-stride. There was still the matter of Pappy Go Go, who was closing very well out three-wide in the lane. But Very Very Fast held him off to win it by a half-length, posting a mile of 1:54 in the off-going. That gives him three top-flight condition wins at Pocono in a little more than a month’s time, once again living up to that speedy name of his.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Bill’s Man (Corey Callahan, John Butenschoen), who followed up a win at Tioga with a condition victory on Sunday night in 1:54:1; Zlatan (Tim Tetrick, Vincent Fusco Jr.) who shipped in to pick up a tough condition win on Sunday night in 1:55:4; and Sister Sledge (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), the budding superstar two-year-old filly who stayed unbeaten in her career after five races with a Sire Stakes win on Monday in 1:56:1.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: SHARP ACTION MONEY
There were a lot of live long-shot winners this week, but this pacer driven by Tom Jackson topped them all, winning a condition on Saturday night at 44-1 for a $91.80 payout on a $2 wager.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MATT KAKALEY
Kakaley loved the stakes action on Sunday night with two wins apiece in the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series, with one of the Sire Stakes victories coming aboard 44-1 long shot Tell Them Lou.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: PER ENGBLOM
During Monday’s stakes action for two-year-old trotting fillies, Engblom managed a Stallion series victory with Rebecca Clark and a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win with Queen Of The Hill.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.
Jun 13, 2019 | Racing
June 8-14, 2019
Once again it was a bit of mixed bag weather-wise for the past racing week at The Downs at Mohegan Sun. But the good news is that, for the first time all season, we were able to enjoy some big-purse races in something less than a total downpour. Those races included another stellar performance from Highalator in the Great Northeast Open pacing series on Saturday and four divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars for three-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday. Let’s take a look at who earned top honors in our Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: SHADOW CAT
As a three-year-old in 2018, Shadow Cat battled his way to just over $100,000 in earnings. His four-year-old campaign has been more of the same, especially when he’s been at Pocono. The four-year-old gelding, trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, won here back on April 21. After four unsuccessful starts at Harrah’s and The Meadowlands, Shadow Cat returned on June 2 and put together an impressive victory in a condition pace for winners of four but no more than seven lifetime races, winning in a career-best 1:50:3 in the slop.
On Sunday night he faced that same field again in an effort to capture the winner’s share of the $17,000 purse. Only this time around, he had to deal with a much tougher post position, leaving from the #8 spot in a field of nine. But the game plan didn’t change for driver George Napolitano Jr. He made sure that Shadow Cat rumbled towards the front of the pack early. The gelding made the lead as they straightened out on the front stretch for the first time.
Shadow Cat received a breather in the second quarter, which readied him for the second half of the mile, where he was an absolute powerhouse. He paced the final two quarters in 54 seconds even, keeping an excellent group of pursuers at bay. The gelding paced home two lengths in front of second-place Youcaniknow, resetting his career-best with a mile of 1:50 and picking up his second straight win overall, his third straight in front of the Pocono faithful.
Other top pacers this week include: Sweet Lucy Lou (Andrew McCarthy, Robert Cleary), a three-year-old filly who followed up her maiden win with a condition victory on Monday afternoon in the slop, setting a new career-best of 1:53:4 in the process; Alex Tye (Tyler Buter, Amber Buter), a three-year-old gelding who moved up the condition ladder to win his second straight at Pocono on Sunday night, posting a new career mark of 1:51:4; and Cashendash Hanover (Marcus Miller, Bruce Clarke), who switched barns but still racked up his second straight claiming handicap win on Sunday night, getting it done in 1:52:2.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: MILLIES POSSESSION
At this point of the season, most of the three-year-old horses doing the damage in stakes competition are those who have established themselves as two-year-olds as well. That kind of experience usually comes in handy when you’re facing top-flight competition, such as those three-year-old fillies battling it out in Pennsylvania All-Stars action on Sunday night. Yet Millies Possession, unraced as a two-year-old, went off as a 2-5 favorite in her $30,000 All-Stars division on Sunday night.
Why was that the case? Well the filly, trained by Jim Campbell, won the first four starts of her career. The last three of those, including a victory at Pocono in her previous start on May 26, came against Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition. That’s a pretty good record no matter when you start racing. On Sunday night, leaving from post position #2 in a field of seven, Millies Possession started a bit slow, but brushed to the lead by the half-mile marker.
It was by no means an easy lead, as she faced outside pressure for most of the second half of the mile. But Millies Possession, with help from driver Dexter Dunn, never seemed to be pressing. She stayed out in front all the way to the line, eventually winning by 1 ½ lengths over Jezzys Legacy in an effortless 1:54:1. Now with five wins in five races, four of them for stakes and the last two at Pocono, Millies Possession is clearly making up for lost time.
Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Asiago (Yannick Gingras, Per Engblom), a filly whose All-Stars win at Pocono on Sunday night in 1:55:3 was her second straight stakes win at the track; Star Studded Cast (Anthony Napolitano, Carmine Fusco), who defeated a claiming handicap group on Monday in the slop in 1:57 for his second straight victory at Pocono; and Lord Cromwell (Marcus Miller, Edward Hart), who moved up in class on Saturday night and managed his second straight victory, scoring in 1:53:4.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: MARCO BEACH
With John Kakaley in the bike, this three-year-old gelding overcame a tough outside post to win a condition pace on Monday in the slop at 30-1, paying off $63.60 on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: YANNICK GINGRAS
Big races seem to suit Gingras, as he proved on Sunday night when he captured two of the four of divisions of Pennsylvania All-Stars, winning with The Ice Dutchess and Asiago.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: CARMINE FUSCO
The Fusco barn has really been heating up in recent weeks, and this past week it produced winners in three of the four racing nights.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.
May 29, 2019 | Racing
May 25 to May 31, 2019
What is it about Sunday nights? In a weird coincidence, the last four Sunday night programs at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono featured a good chunk of the races going off in sloppy conditions. And that means that we’ve seen a lot of very wet stakes races taking place. That hasn’t dampened the action in any way, however, as we’ve seen some outstanding performances, both in the stakes and the overnight races. Here is a look at the top performers from the week gone by as we hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: HITMAN HILL
Even though he comes from one of the most successful barns on the grounds and was a big earner as a three-year-old last season, this gelding has been a bit underestimated at Pocono this year. He won a pair of $17,500 condition paces earlier in the meet and wasn’t favored in either. On Saturday night he faced the $21,500 condition group in the feature and was let go at 7-1. In this case, the long odds were maybe more understandable, because the four-year-old gelding from the Chris Oakes barn finished 7th in the same class a week ago.
On Saturday night, Hitman Hill left from post position #3 in a field of six. The favorite was the decorated veteran pacer Rockin Ron, who went off as 6-5 in an effort to add his $1.6 million in career purse money. Rockin Ron grabbed the early lead, but driver Hunter Oakes positioned Hitman Hill in a good spot in the pocket right behind the leader. Meanwhile, Rockin Ron had to deal with a strong first-over charge from Lyons Steel on the back stretch.
That speed duel might have softened Rockin Ron up a bit, especially when he had to pace a :26:4 for the third quarter to keep the lead. It all played right into the hands of Hitman Hill, who shook free from the pocket in the home stretch once Lyons Steel faded out of it. Hitman Hill powered home and right past Rockin Ron to win it by a neck. Talk about consistency: All three of his wins in the meet so far at Pocono have come at the same time of 1:50:1 that he posted on Saturday night.
Other top pacers this week include: Gallery Opening (Simon Allard, Rene Alllard), who ticked off his second straight claiming handicap victory on Saturday night, getting it done this time in a career-best 1:51; Demi Hill (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), a three-year-old filly who moved up in class on Sunday night and won her second straight, this one in a time of 1:54:1 in the slop; and Reclamation (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who picked up her second straight win against the feature distaff pacers at Pocono on Tuesday in a career-best 1:50, giving her five straight wins overall.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: RICH AND MISERABLE
This four-year-old gelding trained by Todd Buter faced a $21,500 condition trotting class on Sunday night. Since it was the first race of the night and the heavy rain hadn’t yet begun, the race was contested on a track listed in a good condition. The betting attention went to Top Expectations, a mare who had won her first three races of the year at Yonkers. But Rich And Miserable had a three-race winning streak on the line himself, with two of the wins at Yonkers sandwiched around a victory at Pocono against non-winners of seven.
On Sunday night, Rich And Miserable left from the outside post in a field of six as a 7-1 shot. Top Expectations grabbed the early lead while Rich And Miserable stayed back in fifth. When he began to move up first-over, it looked like he might get some cover to help him on his move to the front. But that cover never came, forcing driver Tyler Buter to go after the leader. As they rounded the final turn, Top Expectations and Rich And Miserable were locked in an intense battle.
That continued through the lane, with neither horse giving way. It appeared that Top Expectations might shrug off her foe late, but Rich And Miserable simply refused to lose. In the final strides, he pulled out in front, wearing down the game Top Expectations to win it by a head. The winning time of 1:52:4 was a new career-best for the gelding and also marked the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono, despite the fact that it occurred on an off-track.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Optimist Blue Chip (Anthony Napolitano, Antonia Storer), who moved up the condition ladder to score his second straight condition win on Saturday night, this one in 1:53:3; Asiago (George Napolitano Jr., Per Engblom), who managed the fastest winning time among three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-olds on Sunday Night, scoring in 1:55:2 in the slop; and Keystone Abbey (George Napolitano Jr., Christopher Beaver), who stayed perfect in Stallion Series races this year by winning her third straight on Sunday night in the slop in 1:57:1.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: CELEBRITY BIANCA
This trotting filly’s maiden victory came as a bit of a surprise to the betting public, as she handled a condition field on Monday afternoon at 41-1, paying off $84.40 on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ERIC GOODELL
Goodell tends to step up when the competition is at its toughest, as evidenced by his five combined wins amidst all the top races on Saturday and Sunday night.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: MIKE WATSON
Watson picked up a pair of training wins with pacers this week, scoring on Saturday night with Wagon Master fresh off a claim and then winning on Tuesday with mare Bye Bye Michelle.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.
