Oct 2, 2019 | Racing
September 28 to October 4, 2019
October is upon us, which means that we have only about a month-and-a-half left of live racing in the 2019 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The lingering warm weather has helped to keep the action lightning-quick, however. As a matter of fact, we witnessed several sub-1:50 miles on Saturday night. It was another difficult week to narrow down the Weekly Awards candidates, but we gave it a shot anyway.
PACER OF THE WEEK: WESTERN JOE
Technically, the feature race each night is supposed to be the one that carries the highest purse. On Saturday night, that was the $21,500 condition pace, which was won by veteran standout Scott Rocks. But the field in the $17,500 condition pace that immediately preceded it on the card on Saturday night had a feature feel to it. Five of the nine had earned over six figures a year ago, and many in the field seem well on their way to that threshold this year as well.
The even-money favorite was Dealt A Winner, with over $1.2 million in career earnings. Springsteen, winner of the 2018 Max Hempt Pace at Pocono, was the second choice. And Western Joe, a big earner for the past several years and winner of a $14,000 condition pace at Pocono in his previous race, went off as the 3-1 third choice. Dealt A Winner set a hot pace trying to shake off the field, but Western Joe stayed attached to him in the pocket.
In the stretch, Dealt A Winner tried to summon up a little bit more oomph to hold on to the victory. But Western Joe, a five-year-old gelding trained by Chris Choate, was way too full of pace to be held back. With driver Pat Berry guiding him home, he powered past Dealt A Winner to pick up the victory in a scorching 1:48:2, faster than any other pacer this week at Pocono. With two straight wins, Western Joe has been a featured performer, even if he wasn’t quite in the feature race.
Other top pacers this week include: Torrid Bromac N (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who picked up his second straight claiming victory and sixth in his last eight races overall on Saturday night with a victory in 1:51:2; Seel The Deal N (George Napolitano Jr., Jennifer Lappe), who moved up in class on Saturday night to win his second straight condition pace, putting up a career-best time of 1:50:3 in the process; and Outlast Blue Chip (Kevin Wallis, Eddie Sager), who moved up the condition ladder for his second straight win on Saturday night, scoring in 1:51:3.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: PAT MATTERS
Sunday night’s $21,500 featured condition trot was contested by only six horses. But it seemed like every one of them came in on an impressive streak. The field included Scirocco Rob, who took home Trotter of the Week honors at Pocono last week after winning two straight against the best trotters on the grounds. But Pat Matters, a four-year-old mare trained by Nifty Norman, came in on a pretty impressive two-race winning streak of her one.
In the first of those wins, she scored at Harrah’s at Philadelphia with a new career-best winning time of 1:52:2. She then matched that time with a victory over the $17,500 condition grouping at Pocono. On Sunday night, she left from post position #5 in the field of six as the 8-5 second choice. Scirocco Rob, who went off as the even-money choice, hustled to the lead early, but Pat Matters, with Eric Goodell doing the driving, found the pocket seat behind him.
As they rounded the final turn, it was clear that Pat Matters was itching to be cut loose. Goodell did just that and she moved to the outside, sweeping by Scirocco Rob to take the late lead. But it wasn’t easy sailing from there, as Whats The Word and Joey Bats both made strong late plays to take over. But Pat Matters had the final answer, holding off Whats The Word to win it by a half-length. Talk about consistency: Her third straight win came in 1:52:2, the exact winning time of the other two.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Joey Pro (Anthony Napolitano, John Hallett), who moved up in class to win his second straight condition trot since arriving from New York, getting it done in a career-best 1:54:4; TT Conway (Tom Jackson trainer and driver), who rolled to his second straight condition win on Sunday night, this one matching a career-best of 1:56; and Nice Stuff (Marcus Miller, Bucky Angle Jr.), whose condition win on Tuesday was her second in her last three races at Pocono and came in a career-best time of 1:54:1.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ALWAYS AT MY PLACE
A million-dollar earner in his career, Always At My Place still was unheralded as he captured a condition pace on Saturday night at 18-1 with Jim Taggart Jr. in the bike for a $38 payout on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ERIC CARLSON
With a victory on Tuesday afternoon with pacing mare Velocity McSweets, Carlson became the sixth driver to hit the 100-win plateau for the 2019 racing meet at Pocono.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: BOB BAGGITT JR.
Baggitt made the most of limited opportunity, picking up a training double on Monday and then adding another win on Tuesday for victories with the only three starters he sent to the gate this past 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].
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 [email protected].
Jul 3, 2019 | General News
Trainers of some quality three-year-old colt trotters will have an idea about the future route of their charges – the Grand Circuit, state-bred competition, or “back to the drawing board” – after they contest three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday evening.
In the third race first division, the Muscle Hill gelding Goes Down Smooth has been established as the early favorite from post two for trainer Ron Burke and driver Matt Kakaley. The winner of the Walner series final at The Meadowlands and a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows, Goes Down Smooth qualified for the Beal Trot Championship here last Saturday, but was far behind early and then suffered interference; he and his connections will be hoping for better racing luck here in the field of six.
The Åke Svanstedt stable, which masterminded the upset of the heralded Greenshoe in the Beal Championship with Marseille, will send out Night Hall as the second choice from post four, with Eric Carlson guiding the Muscle Hill colt who shows a second and a third in Pennsylvania stakes competition.
In the fifth race second division, the Explosive Matter gelding Explosivebreakaway, a full brother to the top mare Phaetosive, starts from the rail for trainer Fred Grant and driver Tom Jackson. The lightly-raced colt, locally-based, has six wins in ten lifetime starts, including a Pennsylvania Sire Stake win over the track and a solid victory in an overnight race here last week.
The Cantab Hall colt Lindy’s Crazy Hall has two wins in three starts in 2019, including a Stallion Series victory, and he may be coming on strongly now as he starts from post three for trainer Domenico Cecere and driver Drew Monti.
In the third division tenth race, the Muscle Hill gelding Final Claim looks to rebound from the rail for the Burke / Kakaley team. Final Claim was undefeated in three seasonal starts prior to the Walner final, where he made a break, and following a layoff after that race, he did well after a hard trip in his comeback attempt.
Rock My Muscles and Chiplosive both have Stallion Series victories to their credit, but in this division they have had the misfortune to draw the outside posts six and seven, respectively.
First of fourteen races on the Saturday night card at Pocono is listed for 7 p.m.
Jun 5, 2019 | Racing
June 1 to June 7, 2019
This past week at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono featured some of the most extensive stakes action that we’ve seen so far this year. On Saturday and Sunday nights, Pocono hosted Pennsylvania All-Stars, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Stallion Series and Great Northeast Open Series races. Even though the weather didn’t quite cooperate (again), the action was still scorching. Let’s take a look at our top performers as we hand out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: RECLAMATION
What a streak this four-year-old mare from the Ron Burke barn has put together over the past few months. After finishing second in her first start of the season at the Meadowlands, she ripped off three straight wins there in various condition groups. She then arrived at Pocono and the winning continued. In featured condition paces for mares on May 21 and May 28, she captured victories with winning times of 1:50:4 and 1:50, the latter a career-best.
On Tuesday night, she was at it again in the $17,500 feature. In her previous victories at Pocono, she had shown versatility, winning once on the lead and once in come-from-behind fashion. On Tuesday night while leaving from post position #3 in a field of nine as a 1-9 favorite, Reclamation was sent to the front around the first turn by driver Matt Kakaley. She set honest fractions from there, quick but not out of control, and still held the advantage at the top of the stretch.
As has been the case with most of her victories during this streak, Reclamation didn’t blow anybody away. Both Clear Idea and Sidewalk Dancer came at her late with closing kick. But Reclamation once again stood up to the challenge, holding off Clear Idea to win by a half-length in 1:51:2. This mare simply doesn’t like to lose, as evidenced by her 13 wins in 21 career races. After her Tuesday night triumph, she is clearly at the head of the distaff class at Pocono.
Other top pacers this week include: Demi Hill (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), a filly who picked up her third straight condition won at Pocono in the slop on Sunday night, matching her career-best of 1:51:3 in the process; Beach Boogie (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), whose career-best 1:49:2 mile in a condition victory at Pocono on Saturday night was the fastest time posted this week; and Alii Nui (Marcus Miller, Erv Miller), a three-year-old filly whose victory on Saturday night in Pennsylvania All-Stars action gave hew two straight wins at Pocono, each of which came in 1:51:3, her career mark.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: EXPLOSIVEBREAKAWAY
Sunday night’s action at Pocono was highlighted by three divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, with each race carrying a hefty purse of $56,868. And you could have made the argument that the showcase horse coming into the night in those races was Osterc, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion at age two and winner of stakes races in his first two starts of 2019 in impressive fashion.
Explosivebreakaway has been impressive as well, just maybe not against the same caliber of competition as Osterc. The three-year-old gelding trained by Fred Grant came into Sunday night with four wins and three second-place finishes in seven career races. He also won a non-winners of five condition at Pocono in his first start of the year by seven lengths on May 21. And, in the Sire Stakes race on Sunday, he found himself nestled in the pocket behind Osterc, who was a 1-2 favorite.
Osterc faced some heat on the front end from first-over Summit In Sight, but the fractions never got away from him. Still, as he rounded the final turn, he made a break of stride. That left Explosivebreakaway and Summit In Sight to battle it out from there. Driver Tom Jackson summoned more energy out of Explosivebreakaway, who trotted away from Summit In Sight to win by 2 ¾ lengths at 9-1. His winning time of 1:54:2 in the slop matched his career-best from his previous race.
Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Crystal Fashion (Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell), who handled the field in the Great Northeast Open series with ease on Sunday night, coasting to a comfortable win in the slop in 1:53; Marseille (Ake Svanstedt driver and trainer), who made his maiden win a memorable won, capturing a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race on Sunday night in 1:53:3, fastest time of the three divisions; and Frankie Mullins (Marcus Miller, Bruce Clarke), who followed up a win at Tioga with a condition victory on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono in 1:54:4, a new lifetime mark.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: BLUE AND BOLD
This trotting gelding used the Stallion Series as the setting for his upset, winning a division on Sunday night with George Napolitano Jr. in the bike at 19-1, paying off $40.40 on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MARCUS MILLER
The stakes competition brought out the best in Marcus this week, as he captured an All-Stars race with Alii Nui and a Stallion Series win with Nextroundsonme at odds of 7-1 and 8-1, respectively.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ANDREW HARRIS
Harris came up with a couple big victories on the Sunday night program, winning a Sire Stakes with White Tiger and a Stallion Series division with Blue And Bold.
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].
May 22, 2019 | Racing
May 18-24, 2019
This week’s action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono contained our first taste of both Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series action, while the Great Northeast Open series continued as well with the male pacers on Saturday night. There was a little bit of everything for the faithful on tap, including sudden thunderstorms, a dead heat for a win, and, of course, plenty of fantastic performances. Let’s take a look at the best of those by handing out the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: ATTA BOY DAN
The hot streak for this 10-year-old gelding began on his way out of the Meadows on April 27 when he finished in a dead heat for the win in a condition pace in 1:51:1. He then came to Pocono and scored in a claiming handicap pace on May 11, winning that one in come-from-behind fashion in 1:51:4. On Saturday night he was at it again in that $30,000 to $40,000 claiming handicap group, only this time he was making his first start for trainer Hunter Oakes after he had been claimed in the previous race.
In this race, Atta Boy Dan was saddled with the outside post in a field of seven, which was probably why he was only the 8-5 second choice on the board. Driver Eric Goodell decided he wanted his horse on the lead, and the gelding was able to achieve that with a swooping move around the first turn. On the back stretch, Atta Boy Dan faced down a first-over challenge from 6-5 betting favorite Dancin Hill, which he rebuffed with extreme prejudice.
The work from Atta Boy Dan was far from done, as Concur and Boogie Nights, a pair of long shots who had been saving ground, both came charging up to challenge in the stretch. But the veteran answered the call by gutting out the win by 1 ¼ lengths over Concur in 1:51:4. At age ten, a lot of standardbreds are winding down. But Atta Boy Dan is on a blistering stretch right now and is showing no signs of giving his opponents a break and letting up.
Honorable mention on the pacing side goes to: Rock The Town (George Napolitano Jr., Antonia Storer), who moved up in class to win a claiming handicap pace on Saturday night, his second straight victory since arriving from Delaware, in a career-best 1:50:4; Rodeo Rock (Eric Goodell, Robert Cleary), who tore it up for a victory in the Great Northeast Open pacing series on Saturday night in 1:49, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time of the 2019 Pocono meet to date; and Captain Crunch (Scott Zeron, Nancy Johansson), who returned to start off his three-year-old season at the scene of his Breeders Crown triumph and put on a show in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victory on Sunday night, matching a career-best with a 1:49:1 mile in the slop.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: DI OGGI
Sunday night is usually the night when trotters take center stage at Pocono, but this past week, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for three-year-old pacers highlighted the action. Still, there were some outstanding trots that would normally have been features, including a condition trot with a purse of #17,500 early in the evening. It was a top field of seven, six of which have been campaigning regularly at Pocono this year with high levels of success.
But it was Di Oggi, who had spent most of his time this year at the Meadowlands for trainer Ake Svanstedt, who went off as the 4-5 favorite. He came in on a streak of three second-place finishes, which included his lone start at Pocono this year when he came up short of Tag Up And Go. In this mile, Di Oggi, a five-year-old stallion, left from post position #5 but didn’t get away quickly. He was forced to grind away first-over in the sloppy conditions, dueling away with Tyson, who set the pace.
After wearing down Tyson, Di Oggi, also driven by Svanstedt, then had to deal with Lucky Colby, a 55-1 long shot who hugged the pylons most of the race and then came on strong late in the mile with a big move. But Di Oggi was up to the test, holding tight to beat Lucky Colby by a neck. His winning time of 1:54:1 was just shy of his career-best and was the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono, despite the fact that it came on a sloppy track.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: CR Blazin Beauty (Anthony Napolitano, Jose Godinez), a mare who beat the boys in a condition trot on Sunday night in 1:55:4 in the off-going; Don (Mike Simons driver and trainer), who captured a tough condition trot on Sunday night in the slop despite it being just his second start of the year, matching a career-best of 1:54:3 in the process; and Explosivebreakaway (Tom Jackson, Fred Grant), who delivered a career-best performance by winning a condition trot on Tuesday in 1:54:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: MYSTICAL WYNN
This trotter came rocketing up the passing lane late with Mike Simons in the bike to win a condition at 35-1, paying off a hefty $73.80 on a $2-win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ANDREW McCARTHY
McCarthy was on top of his game in his two appearances last week at Pocono, winning five times, including a pair of Stallion Series victories on Sunday night.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: TONY ALAGNA
Alagna seems to always have a deep roster of young talent, and that was proven on Sunday night when his horses took two of the four Stallion Series divisions for three-year-old pacers.
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].