On a Saturday afternoon that wasn’t very hospitable to front-end speed or very fast times, Hickfromfrenchlick defied both “norms” by taking the afternoon's pacing feature at Pocono while ahead every step of the mile.

Driver Mark MacDonald had the son of So Surreal firing away out of the gate from the rail and caused a “lineup” in the field of five, with favoured J M Mandamin right on his back through fractions of :26.4, :56, and 1:22.3. JM Mandamin dipped down to the Pocono Pike and gained some ground, but Hickfromfrenchlick dug down deep when challenged and maintained a head advantage to the wire in 1:49.4, going his last half in :53.4.

Hickfromfrenchlick, named after a nickname of basketball star Larry Bird, showed much promise at two then won over half a million dollars at three, including the Empire Breeders Classic Final and the New York Sire Stakes Final. He qualified at four, but never got to the races. At the time of his 2021 Pocono debut on May 22, he had been away from the races for almost 19 months. But trainer Ray Schnittker, co-owner with Nolamaura Racing LLC and Thomas Spatorico, has the pacer back in Open form, with the winner of $657,127 now having two 1:49.4 victories in his last three starts.

Hickfromfrenchlick was the first horse all day who lasted to the wire after setting the pace; normal order was restored in the next race, the companion $15,700 trot. Burn Notice backed out of the pocket as first-over After All Paul went by late on the far turn, then closed well to hand that rival a head defeat in 1:54.3. Matt Kakaley drove the Cayenne Turbo gelding to his fourth victory in his last six starts for trainer Michael Deters and WHR Trust.

George Napolitano Jr., the track’s perennial leading driver, scored four more victories on Saturday, giving him 10 for the Friday-Saturday period (five at Philly plus one at Meadowlands the day before), along with a combined 10 the last two Saturdays at Pocono.

Sunday’s featured race at Pocono will be a $13,000 pace for high-class distaff pacers; the American Harness Drivers Club will also be racing at the mountain oval. Program pages for Sunday’s 5:00 p.m. card are available at the PHHA website.

(PHHA / Pocono)