Locked at the rail, Alta Jerome N shot through an opening to emerge in front around the final turn to take the $20,000 Claiming Handicap feature on Saturday, May 12 over a sloppy track at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Alta Jerome N left strongly for driver George Napolitano Jr., made the lead mid-first turn, then yielded to sit the pocket as Allstar Partner cleared to the top at the 1/4. Down the backstretch, Ardie B Speed came first over to challenge Allstar Partner and looked like he might get by the leader before the three quarters, potentially shuffling Alta Jerome N out of contention, but then Allstar Partner drifted out – and quick as a flash Napolitano Jr. got the Jereme’s Jet gelding in gear along the inside and right to the lead, winning comfortably in 1:52.

Hunter Oakes conditioned the winner of $284,302 as he won for the first time in 2018 for Northfolk Racing Stable and Sam Dalia. But he did not go back to the Oakes shedrow after the race, as Alta Jerome N was claimed for $38,000.

The night’s top event for conditioned pacers went for $17,500, which saw the Four Starzzz Shark-gelding Soho Wallstreet A shrug off the effects of a first-over journey, sailing to the lead late on the far turn and pacing away in the lane to stop the timer in 1:50.4. Marcus Miller guided the impressive winner of two straight for trainer Ross Croghan, with owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Dana Parham seeing his bankroll rise to $170,904 lifetime.

Walks Of Life, the winningest horse in North America in 2018 coming into the night, with his 11 victories putting him one up on four others, added victory number 12 in the evening’s opener. George Napolitano Jr. put the Western Ideal gelding on the lead early, and the pair had enough late to hold off pocket-sitter Hugh Hefner N by a neck in 1:53.1.

Hunter Oakes, who trained four winners on the card, conditioned the winner for the Northfolk Racing Stable, but like Alta Jerome N in the feature, Walks Of Life changed hands, being claimed for $20,000. It was the eighth-straight race in which Walks Of Life was claimed.

An immediate success in its inaugural round last week, the Great Northeast Open Series returns to Pocono Sunday, May 13, with open trotters and filly & mare pacers in the spotlight. Rubber Duck, who won the first contest in his class at Philly last Saturday afternoon, will try to make it two straight over the trotters, while the female pace will mark the seasonal debut of Pure Country, who is the only distaff pacer in history to win her divisional title at two, three, and four.

(With files from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono)