Pence Hanover Wins Saturday Night Feature at Pocono

May 20, 2013 | Racing

May 18, 2013
Pence Hanover relied on a pocket trip and powerful late kick to pick up a win in Saturday night’s featured Preferred pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #4 in a field of eight as the 9-2 third betting choice, Pence Hanover (Western Hanover-Popcorn Penny), a 7-year-old gelding from the Aaron Lambert barn, was able to sit the pocket behind pacesetter Meirs Hanover. Even though the fractions weren’t too taxing, driver Andrew McCarthy was able to urge Pence Hanover to a rallying stretch win in the final strides over Meirs Hanover in 1:50:2. Here We Go Again picked up the show.
Pence Hanover, owned by Carl Cito Jr., won for the fifth time in 14 2013 starts. The victory was the 25th of his career and pushed his lifetime earnings to $257,955.
Saturday night’s racing at Pocono also featured eight $20,000 divisions of The Stallion Series for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. The first of those divisions was the fastest of the night, as Matt Kakaley guided the Ron Burke trainee The Pan Poobah (The Panderosa-Pandalay Bay) to a scorching win in 1:50:4.
Kakaley would crank out four Stallion Series wins on the night at Pocono, including two with Burke and two more for trainer Ron Potter. He won again with Burke with UF Dragons Cruiser in 1:53:3. With Potter, he scored with Ilikeitrealhot in 1:51:2 and My One True Desire in 1:52:3.
Driver Jim Morrill Jr. and Chris Oakes connected on a pair of Stallion Series winners: Big Time Promise in 1:52:4 and Shock It To Em in 1:52. Morrill added a third win aboard Moonliteonthebeach for trainer Eddie Hart in 1:51:3. The other Stallion Series split was captured by Some Kinda Beach and the father-son team of driver Marcus Miller and trainer Erv Miller in 1:52.

Friday At Five Outstanding in Stallion Series at Pocono

May 22, 2012 | Racing

May 18, 2012
Friday At Five kicked off the Stallion Series at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for 2012 with a bang on Friday night, scorching the track for a win in 1:50 in the first of seven divisions for three-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. Each of the seven divisions carried a purse of $20,000.
Friday At Five, with Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike for trainer Tom Fanning, was much the best in winning his split , the first of the night, by 5 ¾ lengths. His winning time of 1:50 was not only a career-best but it was the fastest ever managed at Pocono in a Stallion Series race.
The other division winners were: E Z Noah (Tyler Buter, John Butenschoen) in 1:51; Whirl Monroe (Joe Pavia Jr., George Teague Jr.) in 1:51; Carol’s Comet (Matt Kakaley, Ron Potter) in 1:53; Real Infusion (George Napolitano Jr., Rich Gillock) in 1:50:2; Top Of The Mark (George Napolitano Jr., Rich Gillock) in 1:51:4; and Rage N Ryan (Joe Pavia Jr., Justin Lebo) in 1:52:2.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action debuts at Pocono on Saturday night, with three divisions to be held for the 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace. The highlight will be the 2012 debut of Sweet Lou, the 2011 Breeders Crown champion for his age group.