Jul 14, 2012 | Racing
July 14, 2012
Three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot took center stage on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Each of the three divisions carried a purse of $99,438.
Despite being laid off since late May, Top Billing (Andover Hall-NY Starlet) survived a long first-over journey to score as the even-money favorite in the night’s first Sire Stakes division. The 3-year-old colt driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Julie Miller just nosed out Lindys Jersey Boy in 1:53:4, with Solvato finishing third. Top Billing, owned by Jason and Douglas Allen, won for the fourth time in six 2012 races.
In the second Sire Stakes split, My MVP (Cantab Hall-Exceed Expectation), the 1-5 favorite, worked hard to keep the lead after taking over on the back stretch and won by a half-length in 1:53:4. Magic Tonight finished second and Scary Good picked up the show. Mike LaChance drove My MVP for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brittany Farms, Modern Family Partners, and Joe Sbrocco, as the 3-year-old colt won for the third time this year and second time in Sire Stakes competition.
The final Sire Stakes of the night turned into a thrilling stretch duel between 1-9 favorite Stormin Normand and pocket horse Lightning Storm, with the favorite winning by a nose in 1:52:4. Modern Family finished 3rd. After finishing 2nd in both the Earl Beal Memorial and the Yonkers Trot, Stormin Normand (Broadway Hall-Idole Normand) came up with his eighth win in 12 lifetime starts. Matt Kakaley drove the colt to victory for trainer Jim Campbell and owner Fashion Farms LLC.
In other action on Saturday night, Dynamic Youth won a condition pace, and in so doing, broke a track record for three-year-old geldings on the pace. The previous Pocono record for the grouping of 1:49:4 was set by Goddess’s Justin back in 2008, but that mark went down when Dynamic Youth (Bettor’s Delight-Always True) tripped the line in 1:49:2 with Andrew McCarthy in the bike for trainer Aaron Lambert. The gelding, who hasn’t lost in three outings at Pocono this year, is owned by Ken Tucci, J&T Silva Stables, and C&G Racing Stable.
Jun 22, 2012 | Racing
June 15-21, 2012
It’s been an incredible week of racing action at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, one that saw superstar colt Googoo Gaagaa break the world record for 3-year-old trotting colts in the eliminations for the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial on Friday night. We’ll be talking about the finals of that great stakes race in next week’s column. Luckily, there are plenty of other worthy candidates for the Weekly Awards from which to choose.
PACER OF THE WEEK: AHEAD OFTHE CURVE
The life of a talented claimer is a transitory one, since a horse that does well in the claiming ranks usually is highly sought after by other horsemen. When a horse switches barns often, it sometimes takes a toll on its performance. By contrast, Ahead Ofthe Curve appears to be getting better every time he has to pack up and move.
He started his travels and his winning streak with a victory in a $12,500 claiming class on May 12 in 1:52. The 6-year-old gelding was promptly claimed and won in the same class two weeks later in 1:51:1, only to be claimed again. On June 2, he moved up to the $15,000 claimers and set a new career mark in 1:50:4 on his way to his third straight victory.
After yet another claim, he joined the Ken Rucker barn and faced his toughest test yet on Sunday night, a $25,000-$30,000 claiming handicap. Driver Eric Carlson has been the one constant for Ahead Ofthe Curve during his travels, and he was there to guide him on Sunday to his fourth straight victory in 1:51:1. Needless to say, he was claimed once more; considering he’s already at the top of the claiming ladder, maybe the gelding can try his luck against the condition pacers, meaning he might even get to unpack.
Honorable mention on the pacing side goes to: Great Soul (Brandon Simpson trainer and driver), who used a late rally on Sunday for his second straight claiming win in 1:52:3; Twin B Passion (Jason Bartlett, Andrew Adamczyk), a mare who used a late rally to beat the $10,000 claimers on Wednesday night in 1:52:4, her fourth straight win; and Billmar Scooter (Tyler Buter, Amber Buter), who beat the top mares on the grounds for the second straight week on Tuesday, this time in 1:50:2.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: WINDSUN GALAXIE
Some horses have the ability to be versatile, showing that they can come from off the pace, sit close to the lead, or gun to the front and still be capable of performing well in all of those circumstances. To be frank, Windsun Galaxie has not been one of those horses since arriving at Pocono from Canada in April. The 5-year-old stallion from the Tyler Raymer barn has hustled to the front in every start and let the chips fall where they may.
Such an aggressive style means that it is incumbent on the driver to rate the pace well. Mark MacDonald, a Canadian import himself, has been masterful at just that skill since taking over the reins for Windsun Galaxie two weeks ago. On June 10, he went gate to wire to beat the non-winners of $25,000 in the last five starts condition trotters, a really rugged group, in a career-best 1:52:4.
On Sunday night he was once again up against the best trotters on the grounds, and he was once again sent right to the front by MacDonald. It was another nice rate job, allowing Windsun Galaxie to fight back when challenged in the stretch by pocket horse Flex The Muscle. The result was a thrilling win by a nose in a photo finish, giving him two straight victories and a spot on top of the mountain for all overnight trotters campaigning at Pocono.
Other top trotter this week include: The Lindy Reserve (Matt Kakaley, Frank Antonacci), who followed up a win at Harrah’s by scoring in a condition trot on Friday at Pocono in 1:54, a new career-best; Fox Valley Smarty (George Napolitano Jr., Thomas Stamper), who came from way back to win a claiming handicap trot in 1:54:3 on Tuesday night, his second straight win and third in his last four; and Keenan (Brian Sears, Larry Remmen), who moved up in class Wednesday night and scored his second straight easy win, this time coming in a career-best 1:53:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: ANOTHER WILD WOMAN
With one big move on the last turn, this mare piloted by Andrew McCarthy got by a field of claiming handicap pacers on Wednesday night at 13-1, paying off $28.60 to win.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: MATT KAKALEY
Kakaley was on a nice hot streak the past four racing nights. He had double figure victories for the week, highlighted by a four-bagger on Tuesday night.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: KEN RUCKER
Rucker has been a consistently effective trainer at Pocono the last few seasons, and he was at it again this week with three wins, including a double on Sunday.
That’s it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jun 20, 2012 | Racing
June 19, 2012
Billmar Scooter used a pocket trip and the passing lane to capture the featured mares pace of the week for a second consecutive time on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race, which was contested by mares who are winners of over $25,000 lifetime, carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #4 in a field of seven as the 8-5 favorite, Billmar Scooter, a 7-year-old mare from the barn of Amber Buter with Tyler Buter in the bike, left early and settled in the pocket while Dawn’s Legacy jumped to the early lead. That’s where Billmar Scooter stayed until the stretch, when she used the inside passing lane to score for the second straight week, this time coming by two lengths in 1:50:2. Southwind Jazmin was second while Mud Pie Hanover rallied for the show.
Billmar Scooter, sired by Keystone Raider, now has won four out of six in this class since arriving at Pocono. She has 7 wins in 18 races this year and 28 lifetime victories, giving him career earnings of $491,611.
Jun 13, 2012 | Racing
June 12, 2012
Billmar Scooter exploded through the inside passing lane in the stretch to win a thrilling featured pace for mares on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race, which was a condition for mares who are winners of over $25,000 lifetime, carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position #5 in a field of eight as the 5-1 second choice, Billmar Scooter, a 7-year-old mare trained by Amber Buter and driven by Tyler Buter, sat in the pocket early behind pacesetter Lighting Treasure but seemed to be boxed in when Southwind Jazmin cleared for the lead before the half-mile. Billmar Scooter got a break when the outside flow faded and Lightning Treasure took to the outside in the stretch. That left the inside passing lane for the daughter of Keystone Raider to exploit, and she shot by Southwind Jazmin at the wire to win by a nose in 1:50:3 on a sloppy track. Lightning Treasure settled for the show.
Billmar Scooter won for the 6th time in 17 races in 2012, including three out of five since arriving at Pocono in May. It was her 27th career victory, pushing her lifetime earnings to $479,111.
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.
