The Real Desire mare Eclipse Me N — holder of a local track record for older pacing mares — is going on strongly at the age of nine. On Sunday (May 23), she worked gradually to the lead and then coming home in :55 / :27.1 to take the $19,300 distaff pacing feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

The winner had been showing solid form 100 miles south of here at Harrah’s Philly, and she was able to bring that sharpness to Pocono with Simon Allard in his usual perch from the sulky. The winner of $394,119, trained by Lou Pena for Yves Sarrazin, D Racing Stable Inc., and Donald MacRae, visited the winners circle for the 34th times in 117 starts.

The meet’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., and the leading trainer, Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, saw their Rockin Image mare Sweet Rockin Gia overcome the hard first-over route to win in 1:53 in the $11,200 co-feature, also for distaff pacers. Sweet Rockin Gia, also owned by Garcia-Herrera, has now won two times in a row and in four of her last five trips behind the gate. Napolitano had four winners on the card at Pocono, in addition to the two he won at Philly earlier in the day.

The top-level claiming handicap trotters, going for $12,800, are again in the spotlight for the Monday afternoon (May 24) card at Pocono. The carryover for the Rainbow Pick 5 bet will be $68,737.68. The program pages for the 12:30 p.m. (EDT) program will be available at the PHHA website.

(PHHA / Pocono)