Tight Lines blew away a talented field in the $21,500 featured trot Sunday evening (Oct. 20) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, recording a 1:54.1 victory with a :56.3 back half despite 50-degree Fahrenheit temperatures and a sloppy surface.

Trainer-driver Jeff Gregory was behind the innermost of the leavers and put foes in behind him to a :27.3 quarter, then got a :30 breather in the second split. From there the gelded son of Yankee Glide was in complete control, winning by four-and-a-half lengths over pocket-sitter Joey Bats.

Tight Lines has now won a third of his 18 starts this season and has amassed $522,076 lifetime for Jeff Gregory Inc., Jesmeral Stable, and William Richardson.

There was a trio of $17,000 co-features for younger horses trying to earn their way up the condition ladder.

In the single trotting event, the Cantab Hall sophomore gelding Nextroundsonme got to the half in slow time even over the off going while on the lead. He then stepped home in :57.1 to complete a 1:57.4 victory, defeating pocket-sitting Conman Crown by one-and-a-half lengths. George Napolitano Jr. drove the victorious three-year-old for trainer Jenny Melander and Belmar Racing And Breeding LLC.

The first of the pacing co-features was for females, and Blue Ivy proved worthy of heavy-mutuel backing with an easy two-and-a-half length victory over pocket-rider Coral Bella in 1:53.1. The winner is a three-year-old Captaintreacherous miss who was driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Chris Oakes and the partnership of Crawford Farms Racing, Northfork Racing Stable, and Chuck Pompey.

In the division for male pacers, the sophomore Somebeachsomewhere gelding Quatrain Blue Chip moved to the top in front of the stands, opened up a big lead with a :27.3 third quarter in the muck and came home comfortably for a 1:53 win, two-and-a-quarter lengths better than JK Musicman. Trainer Chris Oakes completed a sweep of the pacing co-features with the three-year-old, who won a division of the Simpson Stakes at Philly three starts back, for owners Mac Nichol and Gerald Stay. The victory completed a driving triple for George Napolitano Jr., top among the sulkysitters on the night.

(PHHA/Pocono)