The Conway Hall gelding Classic Venture paid $78.20 to win in taking the $11,000 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Monday afternoon, and he did it in a way that runs counter to the way most longshots win – he went to the front and fought off waves of challengers in the 1:56 mile.

Gerard was the first horse to go the command. Classic Venture, looped out of the gate from post three for driver Jim Pantaleano, went on to take over command just after a fast first quarter of :27.3. The pacesetter got a bit of a breather with a :56.4 half, though that was against the wind. Gerard popped out of the pocket mid-backstretch in front of a progressing Hashtagmadeyalook, who in turn was followed by the favoured Smalltownthrowdown towards the 1:25.3 three-quarters.

In the stretch, Christopher Crazo threatened in the Pocono Pike after getting the clearance to go there after the pocket-sitter vacated the spot, and Hashtagmadeyalook put in a huge late rally after getting rough-gaited on the far turn. But Classic Venture found a little more to keep off Hashtagmadeyalook by a head, with Christopher Crazo only a neck away from taking it all.

The winner is trained and owner by Michael Posner, and he now has $241,268 in lifetime earnings.

Anthony Napolitano had the best day in the sulky, with three visits to Victory Lane.

Horses looking to progress even further up the class ladder will be featured in a pair of $17,000 contests on Tuesday at Pocono, with trotters in race two and pacing males in race 10; the track’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., is listed on both favourites. Program pages for the 12:30 p.m. card are available at the PHHA website.

(PHHA / Pocono)