The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono 2019 Season Review

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono 2019 Season Review

October 29, 2019

We are winding up the 2019 racing season here at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. It was another extremely successful campaign filled with excitement and surprises, favorites and longshots, unexpected winners and scintillating performances. In short, everything a harness racing fan could possibly want out of a racing season.

We started back in the middle of March and we are closing up shop on Saturday night, November 16. When you are in the midst of the season, it always seems like it’s flying by. But then you think back at all of the great racing that has taken place and you realize just how full of action this meet has been.

As always, we use the end of the season to take a look back at the top performers, both human and equine, for the 2019 season. One thing that stands out is the great balance that Pocono can boast, both in terms of the depth of the driving and training colony, and also in terms of the amount of outstanding horses who made the track their semi-permanent home this year.

On the equine side, it was particularly tough to choose the horses that would be honored with yearend awards. But the three horses who received the honors were extremely well-deserving and feel like the right calls.

Leading off is the amazing veteran Atta Boy Dan, who became the first horse in Pocono history to win both Pacer of the Year and Claimer of the Year honors for his winning ways at the very top of the claiming ladder. He ended in the Pete Pellegrino barn, but many different trainers had a hand in his 2019 campaign at Pocono.

Joining Atta Boy Dan on the dais are Eclipse Me N, Mare of the Year, Rich And Miserable, Trotter of the Year. Eclipse Me N proved nearly unbeatable whenever he showed up at Pocono for trainer Rene Allard to take on the featured Mares pacers on Tuesday nights. And Rich And Miserable worked his way up through the condition ladder for trainer Todd Buter until he captured the finals of the Great Northeast Open Series to culminate his amazing meet.

As far as drivers and trainers, the pressure is off us, because the awards are based on the statistics. And, as far as statistics go, there isn’t a driving stat that you can find at Pocono that doesn’t have George Napolitano Jr. sitting at the top of the list. Add two more to the ledger for George Nap, as he once again swept the titles for Pocono driving wins and driving UDRS in 2019, a campaign which saw him pick up his 10,000th career driving win and his 5,000th victory at the Pocono oval.

On the training side, Rene Allard continued his dominance by adding to his impressive string of Pocono training wins titles, as he was the only trainer to hit triple digits in wins in the 2019 meet. On the UDRS, it was a family affair, as Hunter Oakes, at press time, appeared as if he would just hold off his father Chris to win that crown.

We always talk about the champs, but the overall balance was quite impressive. In addition to George Napolitano Jr., Anthony Napolitano, Simon Allard, Tyler Buter, Matt Kakaley, Eric Carlson, and Marcus Miller all managed at least 100 driving wins in the 2019 meet at Pocono. Meanwhile, Ron Burke, Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, and Jose Godinez joined Rene Allard and Hunter Oakes in the top 5 in training victories.

We also witnessed greatness in many of our traditional stakes races, including a Sun Stakes Saturday where upsets were the order of the evening. It was also nice to see many horses who made their way through Pocono in 2019 were able to perform extremely well in the Breeders Crown races in Canada recently.

With all that in mind, it is just about time to move on from the 2019 campaign. Certainly, we look forward to being back in 2020 and doing it all over again.

But before that, I’d just like to say thanks to all of the horsemen and women for their outstanding efforts in 2019. I’d like to thank all of the employees at The Downs at Mohegan Sun as well, all of whom, I assure you, have a more difficult job than mine and are responsible for making the product come off so seamlessly each racing night.

And, finally, on behalf of all of us at Pocono, I’d like to send out heartfelt thanks to the fans. Ever since I started writing this column some 15 years ago, I’ve been saying that our fans are the best in the sport and are the heart and soul of our racing product. A lot of things change in this world. Thankfully, that hasn’t been one of them.

That will do it for the 2019 season at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Week in Review

July 20-26, 2019

It was a week of extremes in terms of the weather for racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. On Saturday night, action was delayed due to the intense heat. On Monday, torrential rains caused a delay. But all 56 races scheduled for the four racing cards were eventually run, and, despite the somewhat erratic conditions, the action was excellent throughout. The outstanding efforts put forward by the winners of our Weekly Awards is proof of that.

PACER OF THE WEEK: DIXIE STAR N

This mare didn’t begin her racing career till this year at age four, starting with a couple races overseas in her native New Zealand at the tail end of winter. When Dixie Star N arrived in the United States for trainer Peter Tritton, she was a beaten favorite in her first start at Yonkers. But coming to Pocono seems to have unlocked her potential. She carved out a win and two places in three starts with the non-winners of four fillies and mares in the months of June and July.

On Sunday night, she was back at it against that same class, only this time she would have to deal with a #9 post. She also had to deal with Tequila Party, who was coming off an impressive victory in Canada in her last race and was made the 3-5 favorite. Dixie Star N went off at 18-1, but driver Jim Marohn Jr. made sure she was in the mix by sending her to the early lead. Tequila Party then swooped by to take over around the first turn, leaving Dixie Star N in the pocket.

Tequila Party wasn’t granted an easy lead, as Carousel pestered her first-over for much of the back stretch. The only question was whether or not Dixie Star N would have a second move in her after exerting effort early in the mile. She answered that question with a resounding yes, thundering past the tiring Tequila Party to pick up the win by a half-length in 1:53. Not only was it impressive because of the difficult post and the long odds, but the win also stands out for this rising mare as a new career-best time.

Other top pacers this week include: Western Joe (Pat Berry, Christopher Choate), who captured the featured condition pace on Saturday night in 1:49:2; Hitman Hill (Hunter Oakes, Chris Oakes), who went down the road for a condition win on Saturday night in 1:49, the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono; and Sidewalk Dancer (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), who delivered a win in Tuesday night’s featured condition pace for mares in 1:51.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: ARCH CREDIT

The old “fool me once, fool me twice” credo can be applied to this five-year-old gelding trained by Robin DiBenedetto. On July 15, he rallied with Kyle DiBenedetto in the bike to beat an $11,000 condition trotting field at monster odds of 46-1. He was back at it again just five nights later on Saturday, trying to pick up his second victory in the span of a week. Arch Credit left from the #1 post in a field of seven seeking another conquest of the $11,000 condition trotters.

And, once again, he was overlooked at the betting window, although this time he was a more modest long shot at 11-1. The favorite in this race was P L Icabod, who went off at 6-5. Meanwhile, second choice Dirty Secret found the pocket seat. Arch Credit, meanwhile, sat third-in. As anyone who has ever watched harness racing on a 5/8-mile oval knows, that trip can either be very, very good or very, very bad, depending on how the outer flow develops and how the inside horses in front hang together.

In this case, it couldn’t have worked out any better for Arch Credit. He managed to squeeze through a small window on the inside passing lane and rallied under DiBenedetto’s urging. As the line approached, he was just able to nose out P L Icabod for the victory in 1:55. After two straight wins at double-digit odds, it’s doubtful that Arch Credit will get to fool the bettors a third time. But if he does, you know, based on these past two victories, he’ll relish the opportunity.

Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Say You Do (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who came into Pocono on a four-race winning streak and added to it by winning the Sunday night featured condition trot in 1:52:2; Max (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), who churned out his second straight condition victory on Sunday night in 1:54; and Alpha D’urzy (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who moved to two-for-two since arriving from Saratoga with a condition win on Sunday night in a career-best 1:54:3.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: GRAPPLE HANOVER

This gelding driven by Wayne Long overcame a #9 post and a sloppy track to beat a condition trotting field on Monday afternoon at 28-1, paying off $59.20 on a $2-win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: KEVIN WALLIS

The veteran driver has been picking up the pace in recent weeks at Pocono, and he starred on Monday with a driving double in the sloppy conditions.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ERV MILLER

Miller was able to train back-to-back winners on the Monday card, with both of the trotters involved, Flippen Creek and Grandma Heidi, getting their maiden victories.

That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

 

 

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Week in Review

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 [email protected].

 

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Week in Review

 

May 4-10, 2019

With the Kentucky Derby taking place this past Saturday and our traditional double-header of racing on that day, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted five cards of live harness racing instead of the usual four for the week. As if choosing for the Weekly Awards wasn’t difficult enough, there are many more possibilities this time around because of the extra races. Let’s take a look at who garners the honors for this busy week of harness racing action.

PACER OF THE WEEK: HIGHALATOR

On Saturday night, Pocono hosted its first big stakes race of the season with the Van Rose Invitational Pace for a purse of $50,000. It was also the first race at Pocono in the Great Northeast Open series, which inaugurated last year to much acclaim and will culminate with big-money finals at the end of the summer. Saturday night’s race looked on paper like it would belong to Western Fame, who was coming off a convincing victory in the $500,000 final of the Levy series at Yonkers.

But the field was full of top aged pacers, including Highalator, a standout five-year-old stallion from the Jenny Bier barn who always seems to rise to the occasion when he appears at Pocono. He left from the #2 post in a field of nine as the 2-1 second choice, while Western Fame left from the #7 spot at 3-5. Western Fame grabbed the engine while Highalator, with Richard Still in the bike, found the pocket seat early.

The key to the race may have been how Western Fame was hounded by long shot The Wall and his first-over bid. In the stretch, the favorite couldn’t summon enough to hold off the pursuit. Highalator, on the other hand, began to erupt as soon as the passing lane opened up. He flew home just a neck in front of Bettor Memories, who came out three-wide at the end of the mile with a lot of pace. Highalator paced the mile in 1:49:4 for yet another signature win on the Pocono oval.

Other top pacers for the week included: Always At My Place (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), who scored a condition victory on Saturday night in 1:49:1, which is the fastest pacing time of the year to date at Pocono; Dancin Hill (Tyler Buter, Gareth Dowse), who won his third straight race, the last two at Pocono, when he beat a claiming handicap group on Saturday night in a career-best 1:50:4; and Nine Ways (George Napolitano Jr., Antonia Storer), who moved up the condition ladder for his second straight victory on Saturday night, getting it done in a career-best 1:50:1.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TWO AM

With the exception of a break of stride on April 14, this five-year-old gelding from the Todd Buter barn has been a consistent threat at Pocono in the 2019 meet. He has hit the board in three of four races here, peaking with a condition victory in a $21,500 featured condition trot on April 21 in 1:53:2. He returned to action in the $17,500 condition feature on Sunday night following a 6th place finish at the Meadowlands in his previous start.

Leaving from post position #2 in a field of eight, Two AM, who went off as the 1-2 favorite, sat back and let others battle for the early lead on the sloppy track. After some jockeying for position, Truemass Volo grabbed the engine, while Two AM idled in fifth in the early portion of the race. But driver Tyler Buter didn’t allow him to sit there for very long, sending him in motion first-over as the field headed into the clubhouse turn.

Buter didn’t wait around for cover, urging Two AM to engage Truemass Volo with his first-over move. He corralled the leader around the final turn and then left him, and the rest of the field, behind in the stretch. Despite being parked around two turns, the gelding still was out-trotting everybody in the lane, coming to the line a 3 ¼-length winner over Truemass Volo in 1:54:3, a time which was especially impressive considering the sloppy conditions.

Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Tiger’s Too Good (Anthony Napolitano, Pete Pellegrino), whose condition victory on Sunday night in the slop in 1:57 gave him two consecutive victories; Rich And Miserable (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who followed up a win at Yonkers with a condition win at Pocono on Sunday night in the slop in 1:56:2; and Karets (George Napolitano Jr., James Cosenza), who powered to a condition win on Monday in 1:53:4, the fastest trotting time posted this week at Pocono.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: SHADY CITY

A flying rally in the passing lane gave this condition pacer driven by Larry Stalbaum a victory on Saturday night at 24-1, good for a $51.40 payout on a $2 win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ANTHONY NAPOLITANO

A-Nap certainly enjoyed the double-header schedule on Saturday, as he picked up four driving victories in both the afternoon and evening cards.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: TODD BUTER

The Buter barn seems to have an endless supply of excellent trotters of all ages, as evidenced by Todd’s wins with Two AM and Rich And Miserable on Sunday night.

That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

 

 

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Week in Review

April 20-26, 2019

Over the past month we’ve been enjoying the Bobby Weiss racing series at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Well, the preliminary legs of the series have come to an end and the finals have begun taking place, each for a purse of $30,000. Two of those finals are still to come, but the winners of the two Bobby Weiss championship races held this past week earn the distinction of Horses of the Week in this edition of the Weekly Awards.

PACER OF THE WEEK: CARDIFF

In the Bobby Weiss final on Monday for pacing fillies and mares, Cardiff, despite a win and two places in the Series, was an 11-1 shot. That’s because most of the betting attention went to Ghosttothepost and Girl’s Got Rhythm, who entered the final a perfect 5 for 5 between in them in the previous legs. Cardiff, as a matter of fact, had come up short behind Ghosttothepost in her previous two races, so it was understandable perhaps that the Rene Allard trainee was somewhat overlooked at the windows.

Girl’s Got Rhythm was the aggressor in the final, bolting out to the engine despite having the #9 post and setting nasty fractions. Ghosttothepost, who went off as the 2-5 favorite, settled in the pocket. As for Cardiff, who left from post #8, he sat mid-pack early. But driver Simon Allard didn’t allow him to dawdle for long, sending him first-over after the leader before he reached the clubhouse turn. He was still parked out as they rounded the final turn and hadn’t yet corralled Girl’s Got Rhythm.

In the stretch, Cardiff found another burst of energy while Girl’s Got Rhythm struggled to stay afloat and Ghosttothepost took his shot in the passing lane. Despite having the inferior trip, Cardiff outpaced the other two and came out on top by a length-and-a-half over Ghosttothepost, with Girl’s Got Rhythm settling for 3rd. When it counted, Cardiff came up with a career-best 1:51:1 mile, all the more impressive for the tough journey he needed to take and the tough competition he needed to overcome.

Other top pacers this week include: Soho Wallstreet A (Pat Berry, Scott DiDomenico), who captured his second straight Saturday night condition feature with a win this past weekend in 1:50:2, which was also the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono; Bunkndunk (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who switched barns and captured his second straight claiming win on Saturday night, this one in 1:51:4; and Pennys Dragon (Matt Kakaley, Sean Smithpeters), a three-year-old filly who pulled off her second straight upset condition victory on Monday, winning in a career-best 1:53:4.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TOWN HALL JUSTICE

On Tuesday, it was time for the fillies and mares trotting division of the Weiss series to contest their final, and the top two choices on the board were Fade Into You, winner of two of three preliminary legs, and Spring In Paris, who swept the three preliminaries. Town Hall Justice wasn’t close in her first two legs of the series, but then picked up a confidence-building win in the final preliminary in 1:56:4 heading into the final.

That win coincided with her joining the Rene Allard barn, and you know from above that Rene and brother Simon Allard won with Cardiff in the first Weiss final in upset fashion. In this mile, Town Hall Justice found the pocket after leaving from post position #3 in the nine-horse field. The four-year-mare watched as Run Lindy Run cut out the first half-mile in fast fractions, then quickly grabbed the lead at the top of the back stretch.

From there both Fade Into You and Spring In Paris took their best shots at the leader. But Town Hall Justice, at 7-1, finished strong, holding off Fade Into You by a length, with Spring In Paris back in 3rd. The mare shattered her previous career-best in 1:53:4, and scored at a nice price of 7-1. 2 for 2 since hooking up with the Allards, Town Hall Justice looks poised for a completer career rejuvenation. Meanwhile, Simon and Rene Allard solidified their reputations as guys who step up their games for the biggest races.

Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Two AM (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who captured the Sunday night featured condition trot in 1:53:2, which stood up as the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr., Gareth Dowse) who came out firing in her first start of the year on Sunday night, winning a condition trot in a career-best 1:53:4, which was the fastest trotting time put up by a three-year-old filly in all of North America this year; and Hill Of A Horse (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), who overcame a #9 post to score his second straight condition win on Tuesday, this one coming in 1:54:2.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: A BETTOR BEACH

This pacer made his maiden victory an unforgettable one, scoring on Monday with Matt Kakaley driving at 42-1, paying off $86.20 on a $2 win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: TYLER BUTER

Tyler Buter didn’t rest on his laurels after scoring his 3,000th career win aboard Daddy Let Me Drive on Sunday night, instead winning two more that evening, including the feature with Two AM.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: RENE ALLARD

Not only did he win both of the Weiss finals, but the perennial Pocono leading trainer also took over the lead in the training wins standings for 2019 with six victories on the week.

That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].