The temperature danced on either side of the 50 degree mark Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but driver Eric Carlson again proved to have the hot hands with the longshots.

Carlson guided Somwherenbrookln N ($87.80) to a 1:51.3 victory in the $17,500 featured pace Saturday night at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.

Carlson kept the Somebeachsomewhere gelding well off a torrid contested early pace, then swung him three-wide late on the backstretch, with Funknwaffles right on his back. These two circled tired horses and proved to be the main factors to the wire, as Somwherenbrookln N maintained the lead by three-quarters of a length to the finish for owner/trainer Gilberto Garcia-Herrera.

Driver Carlson has now guided seven horses who have paid $50 or more to win at the meet – his nearest rivals are Matt Kakaley and Anthony Napolitano with three. Trainer Garcia-Herrera notched his third longshot winner of the meet, tying him at the top with Travis Alexander and Ron Burke in the conditioners’ column.

Although absent from the local scene since July 13 as he focused on the New York Sire Stakes circuit from his western New York base, driver Jim Morrill, Jr. showed no “Pocono rust” as he won four races on the card, including with the Bettors Delight gelding Keystone Steam in a $16,000 co-featured claiming handicap pace.

Keystone Steam made no fewer than three different moves in the race, yet still had enough to defeat Ron Bakardi by a neck in 1:51.3 for trainer Katie Remmerswaal and owners Doug and Leslie Berkeley, who enjoyed their one-week stay with Keystone Steam – they claimed the horse last week, lost him via claim for the same price tonight, and made $8,000 minus the week’s training fees.

(PHHA / Pocono)