The leading point-winners in both open divisions of the Great Northeast Open Series will be in action this Sunday (July 15) in $30,000 events, as Rodeo Romeo will compete in the open pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia in the afternoon and Homicide Hunter will contest the open trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on its evening card.
Rodeo Romeo raised his GNOS tally to 6-3-2-1, good for 362 points (the most of any horse in any of the three GNOS divisions), with a 1:49.4 triumph at Pocono this past Saturday night. Eric Carlson will again be in the sulky this Sunday for trainer Chris Ryder. Rodeo Romeo will start from Post 2 in the nine-horse field.
Split The House, who set the pace at Pocono last week only to be caught by Romeo Rodeo by a head, has been made the 3-1 early favourite from Post 5 – which is the most successful starting spot at Philly – for driver Brett Miller and trainer Chris Oakes. Two weeks back, Split The House, the 2017 Breeders Crown winner for his division, was triumphant in the Franklin consolation at Pocono.
Homicide Hunter has recorded two wins and a fifth from his three GNOS starts, which places him at the top of the pack with 180 points in a division where the top six horses are separated by only thirty points. Both of his GNOS wins have come at Pocono, and in between he tied the world record for older trotting geldings on a five-eighths-mile track with a 1:50.3 triumph at Scioto Downs.
Homicide Hunter has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite and will start from Post 5 – which is also tops statistically at Pocono – in the trotting event for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes. Homicide Hunter has not raced in 28 days.
Second choice in the GNOS trot is a newcomer to the series, but certainly not a newcomer to top-level racing: Moonshiner Hanover, who has been listed at 3-1 from Post 2 for driver David Miller and Chris Beaver. Moonshiner Hanover had notched two consecutive triumphs before finishing second to champion mare Ariana G when she set a 1:50.2 world record at the Meadowlands last week.
The Great Northeast Series continues with weekly events on the conditioned sheet until the weekend of August 25. The top point-winners in each division (open trot, open pace, mares pace) will be eligible to declare in for $100,000 GNOS Championship races, to be conducted at the distance of one and a quarter miles, on Sunday evening, September 2 at Pocono, which is also the night of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for three-year-olds.
(Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, in conjunction with The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Harrah’s Philadelphia)