Charger Blue Chip and Always B Magic continued their winning ways right to the throne as the winner of their Game Of Claim Championships at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday (March 1), with the former taking his $20,000 event for $10,000 base-priced horses and the latter victorious for the $15,000 bounty offered for $7,500-based priced pacers.

Considering he had two wins and a third in his only three seasonal starts, the Rocknroll Hanover gelding Charger Blue Chip went overlooked by the bettors at 9-1, probably because of post 9. But driver Jim Marohn Jr. hustled the quick veteran to command, yielded briefly but retook control before the second turn and from there kept favoured Grandpa Don at bay by two-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:54.1. Claimed for $10,000 in the first leg of the series, Charger Blue Chip has already earned $16,200 in just three starts for trainer Marc Mosher and owners Edward and James Hall Jr.

Trainer Susan and co-owner John Marshall may have been denied a Game Of Claims sweep on Sunday with Grandpa Don’s second, but earlier they had kept driver Marohn Jr. from that same double victory. Their Always A Virgin gelding Always B Magic raced off the pylons throughout the Game of Claims finale, but still dug in to hold off Naked City by a nose in 1:55 for driver George Napolitano Jr.

The timing was good for the connections and the horse. The Marshalls claimed Always B Magic for $9,000 out of the second leg. With two wins and a finals place assured, they kept him out of the third prelim so he wouldn’t get claimed–and the week off did nothing to take off his edge. Before the Game Of Claims Always B Magic had amassed a 60-race losing streak, back to June 18, 2018; he then went three-for-three in the series, all the series wins for Napolitano.

Driver Matt Kakaley visited Victory Lane five times on Sunday, three times with Ron Burke trainees including the Yankee Glide gelding Max in a $17,500 fast-class trot. Leaving from post 6, Max got the entire field in behind him before the quarter, then put in twin :28.2 back splits to win handily in 1:54.3 for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Frank Baldachino.

(PHHA/Pocono)