The Andover Hall gelding Simeon ended his short but productive stay with trainer Toni Freitas by overcoming the outside post eight to win the $14,000 claiming handicap trotting feature Monday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, lowering his lifetime mark a tick to 1:54.
The win did not come easily for the 2015 Fair Sire Stakes Championship winner, as Simeon and driver Marcus Miller had to go a lightning quick opening quarter in :26.1 in order to gain early command. Splits of :55.2 and 1:24.1 followed, and when favoured first-over Its Complicated tired and pocket-sitter Cantabs Lightning broke on the far turn, the job became much easier for the winner, and he triumphed with three lengths between him and Run And Tell Pap, who inherited the pocket once the breaker cleared.
Freitas claimed the five-year-old winner of $138,098 for $17,000 on August 21, and he had three wins and two fourths, good for $22,000 in earnings, before being claimed out of this race for $20,000, so his profit margin for his owners Edward Hall and James Hall Jr. was $25,000 minus expenses – not a bad month and a half.
Making out almost as well was trainer Gilbert Garcia-Owen, who will now have second-place finisher Run And Tell Pap joined by the winner under his shedrow after his claim of Simeon.
(PHHA/Pocono)