Jun 15, 2013 | Racing
June 7-13, 2013
This is the time of year at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs when we move to a schedule of five nights per week, meaning that there are more outstanding performances to sift through when choosing the Weekly Awards. This is also the time of year when it seems like not a week goes by without some sort of assault on either a Pocono track record or even a world record. One of those special performances on Saturday night is the obvious choice to kick off our Weekly Awards.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: UNCLE PETER
Harness racing can be a funny sport, because there are certain occasions when a horse’s record doesn’t really have much bearing on the race. Take, for example, Saturday night’s $25,000 Preferred trot, where Uncle Peter came in as the favorite despite having won just once in five tries in 2013. A closer inspection of that record shows that the competition that the 4-year-old stallion from the Jimmy Takter barn had faced so far this season had been top-notch.
Uncle Peter definitely had unfinished business at Pocono, considering that he had raced in Preferred company twice in April and had come up just short. In his return on Saturday night, he decided to put any doubts the Pocono faithful might have had about his credibility to rest by going the biggest mile he could possibly manage.
With Jim Morrill Jr. in the bike, Uncle Peter surged to the front end on the front stretch and romped away from the excellent competition from that point to win by four lengths. The winning time of 1:51:1 was astounding, breaking not just the Pocono mark for 4-year-old stallions on the trot but also the world record for the age group. It was also the third-fastest mile ever trotted at Pocono, proving that Uncle Peter is one of the best trotters around no matter what his win-loss record says.
Other top trotters this week include: Luv Ya Tyler (George Napolitano Jr., Neal Ehrhart), who chugged through the slop on Friday night to his second straight condition victory, this one coming in 1:55:4; Quantum Cashman (Jonathan Drury, Carmen Auciello), who followed up a win in Canada with a claiming handicap victory on Tuesday night in a career-best 1:55:3; and Upfront Billy (George Napolitano Jr., Mark Ford) who now has two straight wins, one at the Meadowlands at one in Wednesday night’s featured condition trot at Pocono in 1:53.
PACER OF THE WEEK: BUCK STOPS HERE
Some horses get on such a hot streak that they find their way to the line even when it doesn’t seem possible. Buck Stops Here is on just such a streak. The mare has really been on that roll all year long, as she came into Wednesday night’s $15,000-$20,000 claiming handicap pace for mares having won six of her last seven races. She was four for her first five since arriving at Pocono, and her last two wins came from the outside post.
The winning streak has been even more impressive for the fact that she’s been claimed in each of her five starts since coming to Pocono. The 5-year-old mare joined the Jason Robinson barn for Wednesday night’s contest, which once again had her dealing with an outside post. George Napolitano Jr. took her to the front early, and Buck Stops Here had to set imposing fractions just to repel the pressure to her outside.
In the stretch, closers came at her on both sides, and it seemed like she was bound to succumb. But Buck Stops Here, riding that outstanding streak, found her way to the line for a win by a nose in 1:52. She was claimed again after the race, and she’ll probably be on the outside should she face the same class again next week. But the way she’s going right now, I know I wouldn’t bet against her.
Honorable mention on the pacing side goes to: Jepson Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, PJ Fraley), who rallied late to win Saturday night’s $25,000 Preferred pace in a career-best 1:49:1; Erle Dale N (Andrew McCarthy, Darran Cassar), who made his second start in the U.S. a memorable one on Saturday night, winning a condition pace in a sizzling 1:49, fastest pacing time of the week at MSPD; and Queen Of Royalty (Tyler Buter, Allen Sisco), a mare who won her third straight on Wednesday night in a condition trot in 1:51:3 and moved up in class to do so.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: FRISKY STRIKE
In a rugged claiming handicap trot on Saturday night, this mare came up late to upend the favorites at 37-1 with Anthony Napolitano in the bike, triggering a $76.40 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: JOE PAVIA JR.
Pavia had one of his best weeks of the season to date this past week, picking up wins in four racing nights and scoring a driving triple on Sunday.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: JASON ROBINSON
He’s been one of our top percentage trainers at Pocono for the past few seasons, and he had an excellent week just past, scoring three training wins.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jun 9, 2013 | Racing
June 8, 2013
Another Saturday night, another world comes under assault at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
This time around, it was the mark for 4-year-old trotting stallions on a 5/8-mile oval that was obliterated by star trotter Uncle Peter in the Preferred trot on Saturday night. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Uncle Peter (Cantab Hall-Victory Treasure), who was fresh off a second-place finish in the Maxie Lee at Harrah’s, was made the 3-5 favorite from the #5 post in a nine-horse field. The 4-year-old stallion from the Jimmy Takter barn got away mid-pack as the mare Tui set a scorching opening fraction of 26:3. Driver Jim Morrill Jr. set Uncle Peter in motion first-over on the front stretch and he had the lead before the clubhouse turn, hitting the half in 55:1.
On the back stretch, Uncle Peter gained separation and reached three-quarters in 1:22:4. Even with second-choice Undercover Strike sneaking up behind him into the pocket, the favorite had no trouble in the stretch, kicking away to win by four full lengths. Undercover Strike finished second while Keystone Thomas picked up the show. The winning time of 1:51:1 smashed the track record for 4-year-old stallions on the trot of 1:52, set last May by Fox Valley Iliad, and that mark was also the world record for the age group on any 5/8-mile oval.
Uncle Peter, owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding, and Goran Falk, has been in the money in every one of his six starts this year with two wins. The victory was the 10th of his career and pushed his lifetime earnings to $770,154.
Apr 15, 2013 | Racing
April 13, 2013
Modern Family staged a furious rally in the stretch to come up with a victory in Saturday night’s featured Preferred Handicap trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Modern Family (Cantab Hall-Domestic Diva) left from post position #6 in the field of nine as the 3-1 third choice, got away well, and settled second on the inside early. The 4-year-old stallion saved ground and was shuffled back to fourth as the lead changed hands a few times. In the stretch, trainer and driver Daryl Bier was able to shift him to the outside and Modern Family barreled through the lane to nip Blacktuxwhitesox by a nose in a caareer-best 1:52:2. Uncle Peter finished 3rd.
Modern Family, owned by Bier, Charles Dombeck, and Richard Poilucci, won for the 6th time in 9 races this season. It was his 10th career victory, pushing his lifetime earnings to $139,522.
Jul 13, 2012 | Racing
July 6-12, 2012
One of the most fun parts of any racing season occurs when the younger horses take center stage. These stars of tomorrow are often green in terms of experience but great in terms of talent. From July 3-8, Grand Circuit Week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs featured some outstanding 2 and 3-year-old trotters and pacers in the Pennsylvania All-Stars races. Let’s take a look at each of the eight classes that were held over those five nights of racing, an exciting week that showcased potential for the future and thrilling racing in the present.
2-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS & GELDINGS
Santa Fe Beachboy kicked off Grand Circuit Week with a bang last Tuesday, winning in a blistering time of 1:52 in his first start ever, a time that would hold up as the fastest in the class. That set the tone for six $25,000 divisions of this class in which several heavy favorites dominated their splits. Trainer Ray Schnittker had two of those heavy favorites, Red Rock and Cowboy Terrier, who each won in their debut races. Both of those winners were driven by Tim Tetrick, who added a third winner in the class with Lone Wolf Currier, who followed up a win at Harrah’s with a convincing win in 1:53:1.
2-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS & GELDINGS
As you might expect, this grouping, which held six $25,000 divisions last Tuesday, was dominated by a guy who always has a barn full of superb young trotters: Trainer Jimmy Takter. Jimmy also did the driving and picked up three victories with High Bridge, Atlas Peak, and Dontyouforgetit, all of whom won their debuts with relative ease. Takter wasn’t the only trainer with something to smile about in this class. David Wade looks like he has a star on his hands with easy winner Tigress’s Legacy, and Rich Gillock sent out Major Athens, who rolled with David Miller in the bike to the group’s fastest winning time of 1:56.
2-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES
Seven divisions of freshman fillies hit the track last Wednesday for their $25,000 All-Stars races. A couple of horses moved to 2-for-2 in their young careers with wins, as Somstreetsomwhere and Banner Beach Day turned the trick. It was a first-time starter who turned in the fastest time of the night, however, as Antigua Hanover, trained by Mark Harder and piloted by Jim Morrill Jr., scored in 1:53:3. Morrill also played a part in the grouping’s biggest upset, driving Binding Desire to a surprising win at odds of 11-1.
2-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES
The most impressive performance in this class, which held four $35,000 divisions on Friday night, belonged to Fashion Athena. Despite it being her debut race, this filly with Andrew McCarthy driving for Jim Campbell rallied to win her split in a sizzling 1:55:1, less than a second off the track record for her age and gender. Driver Matt Kakaley had two of the other winners, scoring with Good Intentions and Frau Blucher.
3-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS AND GELDINGS
A late rain storm on Saturday night meant that two of the three $50,000 divisions of this class were held in the slop. That didn’t slow down either Star Recruit or I Like Dreamin, who each won in the off-going in identical times of 1:51:4. Mcerlean, driven my Matt Kakaley for trainer Trond Smedshammer, scored in the one split on a fast track in 1:51:1.
3-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS AND GELDINGS
The big star in the three $50,000 divisions held Saturday night was Uncle Peter, who couldn’t get by Googoo Gaagaa in the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial but atoned for it with a sizzling win in the All-Stars in 1:52:3 for Jimmy Takter. Takter also scored with Nothing But Class early in the night, a notable win because it was the colt’s maiden victory.
3-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES
Driver Dave Palone, making his first appearance at Pocono since breaking North America’s all-time record for driving wins, picked up victories in two of the five $32,000 divisions of this class on Sunday night, winning with Lady Andi and On The Bright Side. Tim Tetrick also scored twice in this class, once aboard Can’t Have My Moni, and once aboard Oasis Dream, a 16-1 shot whose mile of 1:54 was just one-fifth of a second off the track record for the age group.
3-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES
Of the three $50,000 divisions held in this class Sunday night, Moonlit Dragon, driven by Eric Carlson and trained by Bruce Saunders, went the fastest, winning her split in a sizzling career-best time of 1:50:4. The other winners were Kiss Dont Bite, with Andy Miller in the bike for Noel Daley, and Podges Lady, who won despite a month layoff for trainer Joe Seekman and driver Eric Ledford.
All in all, it was another fantastic Grand Circuit Week at Pocono. Next week, we’ll get back to our Weekly Awards for the overnight races. Until then, we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Jul 8, 2012 | Racing
July 7, 2012
Meirs Hanover matched a track record at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with his victory in 1:48:1 in Saturday night’s featured Open pace. The race carried a purse of $50,000.
Meirs Hanover, a 5-year-old stallion from the Ron Burke barn looking for a bounce back after breaking stride in the Ben Franklin final due to interference, left from post position #2 in the field of eight as a 6-1 shot and found the pocket early behind pacesetting 6-5 favorite Golden Receiver. The leader had to fight off pressure from Rockincam on the front stretch and Dial Or Nodial on the back, leading to sizzling fractions of 26:1, 53:2, and 1:20:1.
In the stretch, driver Matt Kakaley tipped Meirs Hanover into the passing lane and he rallied past the game Golden Receiver to win by a half-length. Special T Rocks came on for 3rd. The winning time of 1:48:1 matched the Pocono record for aged pacing stallions that was set just two weeks ago in the Franklin eliminations by Aracache Hanover.
Meirs Hanover, the offspring of Artsplace and Mary Mattgalane and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Van Dusen, Cimaglio, and Strollin Stable, won for the 4th time in 14 2012 races. It was his 21st career victory, giving him lifetime earnings of $460,207.
In addition to the Open pace, Grand Circuit Week continued at Pocono with three $50,000 divisions each of the 3-year-old colts and geldings on the trot and on the pace. On the trotting side, the winners were: Fashion Astral (Broadway Hall-Lindy Lane), owned by Fashion Farms LLC, trained by Jim Campbell, and driven by Matt Kakaley, in 1:54:4; Nothing But Class (Andover Hall-Bold Dreamer), owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Louie Camara, and Jan Hoibye, and trained and driven by Jimmy Takter, in 1:54:2; and Uncle Peter (Cantab Hall-Victory Treasure), owned by Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, and Falkbolagen Ab, and trained and driver by Jimmy Takter, in 1:52:3.
On the pacing side, the winners were Mcerlean (McArdle-Igottwowordsforyou), owned by Muscara Racing Trust, trained by Trond Smedshammer, and driven by Matt Kakaley, in 1:51:1; Star Recruit (Dragon Again-Remarkable Star), owned by Carter, Carter, Reid, and Grubbs, trained by Bruce Riegle, and driven by Tony Hall, in 1:51:4; and I Like Dreamin (McArdle-I’m Not Dreamin), owned by Lomangino Standardbreds and Leo Lomangino, trained by Sam DePinto, and driven by George Napolitano Jr., in 1:51:4.
