May 19, 2015 | Racing
Trainer Brian Brown, trainer of 2014 divisional and Jugette champion Color’s A Virgin and a resident of Delaware OH, may be having himself a two-day party late this September at the famed half-miler, as he already has five different Pennsylvania Sire Stakes-winning three-year-old pacing horses, three fillies and now the two colts who continued the hot trainer’s winning ways Saturday night, May 16th, at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, being among the four winners in the $226,168 first leg of their Sires action.
As the track turned “sloppy” for the fifth race Sires division (Pocono is about 150 miles northeast of Baltimore as the crow flies, and the Preakness rain started about two hours before the storms hit northeast PA), Rise Up Now remained undefeated in five outings this year, tucking in the pocket down the back and then catching leader Blood Brother in the stretch to post a 1½-length 1:51.3 over a newly-christened “sloppy” track. Blood Brother had snapped off splits of 26.1, 55.3, and 1:22.2, but the 53 usage in the odd-numbered quarters did not allow him to hold off the Somewheresomebeach gelding and driver Simon Allard, who piloted the Brown trainee for King McNamara of Florida, the only non-Buckeye in the ownership group which includes the Strollin Stable, William Robinson, and Country Club Acres.
Brown is now two-for-two seasonally with the Well Said colt Lost For Words, who reclaimed the lead down the backstretch, opened up four lengths turning for home, then held off the late charge of the game little Allbeef N Nobull to win by 1½ lengths in 1:51.4 in the night’s second division, when the track was still “fast.” Lost For Words, a finalist in both the Governors Cup and Breeders Crown last year, was driven by Jim Morrill Jr. for the three Ohioans who share in Rise Up Now’s ownership and another Buckeye, Richard Lombardo.
For years Brown has done very well in the Pennsylvania program, but this year his numbers are only slightly short of unbelievable. He’s perfect in five Pocono starts, and at The Meadows he sports a 13-9-3-0 tally, for a Keystone State total of 18-14-3-0 – which produces a mind-boggling state UTR of .870!
McArdles Lightning teamed with driver Anthony Napolitano to post a 6-1 upset in taking the first division, coming from last at the half in the seven-horse field and blitzing his own back two quarters in 54.2 to equal his lifetime mark of 1:51. Steve Elliott conditions the McArdle ridgling (double thoroughbred Triple Crown racewinner American Pharoah is also a ridgling) for the Lightning Stable.
In the final Sires heat, Wazikashi Hanover was a pocket rocket in catching last year’s 2YO Sires champion, Yankee Bounty, by 1¼ lengths, with the time on the sloppy track 1:52. Yankee Bounty overcame the outside “eight-ball” to post splits of 27, 57, and 1:24.4, but “Wazikashi,” a Dragon Again gelding, was relentless and gained into the 27.1 kicker for trainer Joann Looney-King and the Tri County Stable. Driver Jim Morrill Jr. joined trainer Brown as a double winner in the Sires races.
Aug 12, 2013 | Racing
August 10, 2013
Scandalous Hanover, Novascotia Hanover, and Somwherovrarainbow scored wins in their respective divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The three divisions were held for 3-year-old fillies on the pace and each carried a purse of $78,224.
In the first Sire Stakes split, Scandalous Hanover (Dragon Again-Subtle Charm), the 9-2 second choice, made a huge first-over move on the back stretch and paced away from her foes in the lane for a three-length victory in a career-best 1:49:3. David Miller was in the bike for trainer Casie Coleman, as Scandalous Hanover won in what was her first Sire Stakes start of the season after recent success in condition paces at Chester. Icommandmyspirit finished second, Native Dream picked up the show, and 3-5 favorite Charisma Hanover faded to fourth after leading early, suffering her first Sire Stakes loss in four tries this season.
David Miller was at it again in the second division, guiding Novascotia Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere-Northern Sky) three-wide around the last turn for a rallying win by a length as the 4-5 favorite. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., Novascotia Hanover paced the mile in 1:51:1, matching a career-best as she bounced back from two near-misses in her last two stakes races. Handsoffmycupcake finished second while Carols Desire picked up the show.
Using a pocket trip and the passing lane in the stretch, Somwherovrarainbow (Somebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Blue), at even money, came on to win the final split by three-quarters of a length in 1:51:3. She now has stakes wins in her last two races and three of her last four, as Montrell Teague did the driving for trainer George Teague Jr. Aunt Caroline rallied for second while Nikki Beach faded to third.
Jul 3, 2012 | Racing
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is celebrating July 3rd with a special early Post Time of 5:00 p.m. and a night full of “stars” – All-Stars, that is – and a spectacular fireworks display.
The first night of the Pennsylvania All-Stars kicks off on Tuesday, July 3rd with six divisions for 2-year-old trotting colts & geldings and six divisions for 2-year-old pacing colts & geldings.
“You’ll be seeing some of the future stars in the sport during this Grand Circuit Week,” Race Secretary Rick Kane revealed. Ray Schnittker, who has developed outstanding younger horses in the past such as Deweycheatumnhowe, sends out Red Rock, son of The Panderosa, and Cowboy Terror, a son of Somebeachsomewhere.
In the trotting divisions, the Hall of Fame honoree Jimmy Takter trains High Bridge, son of Cantab Hall, fresh off a win in a baby race. The Ron Burke trained Arctic Tale, son of Donato Hanover, who trotted to his baby win in 1:58, and Tigress’s Legacy, son of S J’s Caviar, trained by David Wade, with a 1:58 2/5 win in a baby race, will both be looking for another win to cement their mark as future stars.
The Pennsylvania All-Stars continues Wednesday, July 4th; Friday, July 6th; Saturday, July 7th, and Sunday, July 8th with the regular Post Time of 6:30 for all nights.
Fireworks immediately follow the Tuesday, July 3rd race card of 16 races.
