Crossfit minded his manners, controlled the front end from an improved post, and easily won the $12,800 claiming handicap trotting feature on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 20) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Tyler Buter hustled the Donato Hanover gelding to the lead in front of the stands, rated the half, then got a :56.4 back half out of him to finish out the mile in 1:54.4. The pocket-sitting Mr Houdini finished a non-threatening one and three-quarter lengths back at the wire. Crossfit can be a chancy proposition: he had run in two of his last three starts, but he won the two before that. He was on top behaviour Tuesday for trainer Susan Marshall, who also co-owns along with John Marshall.

Trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt made a cameo appearance at Pocono to drive the sophomore Swiss House Onfire in a $10,400 contest. The duo made short work of their task by stepping home in 1:54.1, with a back half :56.3. The altered son of Muscle Hill–Brooklyn, a $335,000 yearling with a loaded pedigree who has limited success to date, may be finding his best form right now as he took a new mark for S R F Stable.

Another interestingly-bred horse winning impressively was the Trixton four-year-old Celebrity Rolex. Celebrity Rolex was unraced at two and three and is now a winner of four out of six starts after a 1:56.2 - :28.1 tally. The $180,000 yearling, whose sire and dam Angelette Hanover can be traced in the near past to 'super dam' Amour Angus, was driven by Fern Paquet Jr. for trainer Jennifer Sansone and Celebrity Farms, who purchased the fast trotter just prior to the start of his racing career.

George Napolitano Jr., Pocono’s perennial leading driver, got hot near the end of the card and ended his Tuesday at the mountain oval with five victories.

FINISHING LINES – 100 miles south at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Caviart Ally, getting ready for her Breeders Crown eliminations this Saturday at Hoosier, won a Tuesday morning qualifier in 1:50.4 by 25 and one-quarter lengths for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling. In the Crown elim, Caviart Ally drew Post 4, while divisional 'queenpins' Shartin N and Kissin In The Sand drew the outside posts, eight and nine, respectively.

(PHHA/Pocono)