Jun 13, 2014 | Racing
June 7, 2014
Aracache Hanover toughed it out on the front end to beat an exceptional group of pacers in the $25,000 featured Preferred pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Leaving from post position #7 in a field of eight as the 9-5 favorite, Aracache Hanover (Dragon Again-Armbro Cachet), a 7-year-old stallion from the Ron Burke barn, grabbed the pocket around the first turn behind Golden Receiver and then took over the lead on the front stretch. From there, driver Matt Kakaley and Aracache Hanover had to deal with first-over pressure from Digital Z Tam, who kept coming after the leader right to the very end. Still, Aracache Hanover prevailed by a nose in 1:49. P H Supercam finished third.
Owned by William Switala and James Martin, Aracache Hanover was following up a win at The Meadowlands and now has three wins in 14 races this season. It was his 30th lifetime victory, pushing his career earnings to $1,660,469.
Jun 3, 2014 | Racing
June 1, 2014
Continual Velocity parlayed a pocket trip into a stunning upset in Sunday night’s featured Preferred pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Continual Velocity (Real Artist-Extreme Velocity), a 6-year-old mare from the Ron Burke barn, finished up the track in 6th in the same class a week ago, which is probably why she was a 32-1 shot from the inside post in a field of six on Sunday night. Yet driver Matt Kakaley found the pocket early, and Continual Velocity outpaced fast-closing Feeling You in the stretch to win by a neck in a career-best 1:50:2. Pacesetting American In Paris finished third while heavy favorite Shebestingin struggled to fifth.
Continual Velocity won for the fifth time in a dozen 2014 starts. It was her 26th career victory, pushing her lifetime earnings to $511,525.
Jun 3, 2014 | Racing
May 24, 2014
JK Endofanera and Seventh Secret impressively captured divisions of the Pocono Cup in the Historic Series on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The Grand Circuit races were for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace.
In the $36,162 first division, JK Endofanera (Art Major-Presidential Lady), moved to two-for-two on the season with a victory on the front end by 1 ¾ lengths in 1:49:4, which matched his career-best. Andrew McCarthy did the driving aboard the 1-2 favorite for trainer Ron Burke. Allstar Partner finished second while Best Said picked up the show.
In the $36,912 second division, Seventh Secret (Allamerican Native-Secret Song) staged a furious rally to come up for the win by a head in 1:50:3. Pierce finished second while Stratos Hanover came in a close third. Mike Wilder drove Seventh Secret, a 5-1 second choice, for trainer Dan Altmeyer.
Jun 3, 2014 | Racing
May 17-23, 2014
In this space, we usually hand out the Weekly Awards. But every now and again, we deviate from our formula due to something special taking place at the track. In this case, it was Saturday night’s racing card, which featured the first appearance of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, a world-record performance, and a young driver who nearly stole the show from everybody.
Regular watchers know just how fantastic the racing is Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs has become over the past few years. But nights like Saturday evening that go a little above and beyond are always special. Let’s take a look at some of the spectacular moments from the night.
If you’ve been to the track enough, you’ll hear the phrase that a horse “needs a start” from handicappers. What it means is that a horse is coming off a long layoff and isn’t expected to perform at its peak the first time back. While that might have been a good rule in the past, I find it to be less and less reliable as time passes.
For example, take Saturday night’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. In the first split of the night, Tellitlikeitis, a big earner as a 2-year-old for the Jimmy Takter barn, was making his first start since September. Two outstanding qualifiers must have prepared him enough though, because driver Brett Miller positioned him in the pocket and then blew by pacesetter Limelight Beach in the stretch to score in a scorching 1:49:1, the first of many sizzling times achieved on the night.
Ironically, the horse that finished second behind Tellitlikeitis in one of those qualifiers at The Meadowlands was Somestarsomewhere, and he proved to be ready for his close-up as well. With Matt Kakaley in the bike for trainer Ron Burke, the colt, who hadn’t raced since finishing third in the Breeders Crown in October, won a thrilling stretch battle in his Sire Stakes division in 1:50:3.
The other two Sire Stakes winners had good stories as well. At Press Time, another one guided by Burke and Kakaley, bounced back from a 4th-place finish in an overnight race at Pocono in his last start to pull off a 10-1 upset in his division in 1:49:1. And the night’s most dominant performance was turned in by Let’s Drink On It, who arrived from Indiana and rolled to a convincing win in the night’s fastest Sire Stakes time of 1:49. Tyler Smith did the driving for trainer Joe Seekman.
If Smith seems like an unfamiliar name, it’s because the 21-year-old driver, who usually does his racing in Indiana, was making his first appearance at Pocono. And what a debut it was. In addition to the win aboard Let’s Drink On It, Smith also picked up wins aboard McMarvel at 21-1 and Arsenal at 11-1. He had five starts on the night and picked up three victories and a show, and if you bet the horses he drove $2 across the board all night, you would have walked away with a profit of $88.90. The bettors are probably hoping Smith comes back soon; I’m not so sure if the other drivers will be as anxious to see him again.
For all of the drama and excitement of the Sire Stakes, Dancin Yankee had something even better in store for the faithful in the $25,000 Preferred pace. Last seen winning the Van Rose Memorial at Pocono two weeks previous to Saturday night, he returned to action with a performance for the ages. He took the lead with an incredibly fast brush in the front stretch, reaching the half in 52:2 to give an indication that this race could be one for the record books.
The 6-year-old stallion from the Josh Green barn had to fight off a first-over charge from Mach It So on the back stretch, which seemed like it might leave him vulnerable to pocket horse Clear Vision coming home. But driver Brett Miller asked Dancin Yankee for a little more and he gave a lot, holding off Clear Vision by a neck in 1:47:2. Not only was that the fastest time ever posted at Pocono, it matched the speediest time ever recorded on a 5/8-mile oval.
Dancin Yankee’s performance thrilled about everyone in attendance, with the possible exception of Anderlecht. The 9-year-old stallion won the 13th race in an eye-popping 1:48. That time would have set the track record for aged stallions on the pace at the start of the night. But, alas, Dancin Yankee beat him to it with a time that was three-fifths of a second faster.
The moral of the story is that, on a night as stellar as Saturday night at Pocono, even the extraordinary can seem just OK.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
May 30, 2014 | Racing
May 17, 2014
Despite making their first starts of 2014, Tellitlikeitis and Somestarsomewhere delivered stellar winning performances Saturday night in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for three-year-old colts and geldings on the pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. There were four Sire Stakes divisions held on the night, with purses ranging from $66,363 to $66,763.
Tellitlikeitis (Well Said-Kikikatie) was making his first start since November, yet a pocket trip led to a rally in the passing lane for the victory by three-quarters of a length over Limelight Beach. Brett Miller was aboard Tellitlikeitis, the 6-5 second choice, for trainer Jimmy Takter. Seventh Secret finished third, while 3-5 favorite Sometimes Said finished off the board in 5th.
Somestarsomewhere (Somebeachsomewhere-Lovely Assistant) had been laid off since a third in the Breeders Crown at Pocono in October. Yet he went off as the 1-2 favorite in his split and delivered on that promise, taking the lead at the 3/8-mile marker and gamely winning a thrilling stretch battle with half-brother Somewhere In L A by a nose in 1:50:3. Matt Kakaley drove for trainer Ron Burke. Blooming Genius finished third.
The duo of Kakaley and Burke also scored a Sire Stakes victory with 10-1 long shot At Press Time (Western Terror-So Right). He was coming off a fourth-place finish in overnight action at Pocono in his previous start, but he found the pocket behind pacesetter Maxi Bon and got by him in the stretch by a length to score in 1:49:1. Cammikey, the 3-5 favorite who came into the race unbeaten in 2014, had to settle for 3rd.
Let’s Drink On It (Art Official-Letmedowneasy) saved the best for last in the final division, pouncing on a hot pace first-over and going away by 2 ¾ lengths to win in 1:49, the night’s fastest Sire Stakes time. Fresh off a win in Indiana, the 1-2 favorite was driven by Tyler Smith for trainer Joe Seekman. Mcwicked was best of the rest in second while Some Playa picked up the show.
