The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted three $17,000 feature races for up-and-coming horses climbing the class ladder on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 28), with Cigar Smoking Tony (male pace), Think Of Galaxies (female pace), and Ghostintheshell S (trot) emerging victorious.

Cigar Smoking Tony was used hard past the quarter to get the lead, then let favoured Red Power go to the front under the wire the first time. He stayed in the two-hole until the stretch, used the "Pocono Pike" to go to command mid-stretch, then had to resist a late bid by Mikibytheseaside to his left, doing so by a nose in 1:50.4 over a “good” track that actually never appeared far away from peak speed. Marcus Miller drove the 11-1 Art Major gelding to a lifetime mark for trainer Jose Godinez and owners Joseph Betro, Ian Behar and Kristie Leigh Farm Inc.

The So Surreal sophomore filly Think Of Galaxies looked in trouble as they turned for home in her race, buried third at the inside without a clear lane. But the first-over horse backed off just enough in mid-stretch that driver Mark MacDonald could swing his filly to the outside, and she finished with a ground-gobbling burst that got her three-quarters of a length clear of Alleyesonme AS in 1:53. The John McDermott trainee saw her lifetime bankroll grow to $199,000 for Jonathan Klee Racing and Peter Kleinhans (who will drive in an amateur race at Pocono Saturday [Oct. 2]).

As impressive as anybody racing on the Tuesday card was the From Above mare Ghostintheshell S, who was thought of so highly upon importation from Europe that she started her North American career in the Ms Versatility series. Returning to the races after a two-month layoff, Ghostintheshell S was prepared for her best by master trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt, coming home in 1:53.2 and looking like a mare who could rise through the ranks for Knutsson Trotting Inc.

George Napolitano Jr., less than $300,000 away from $100 million in lifetime money won, took four races on the afternoon card as he approaches his 10th consecutive dashwinning crown at Pocono.

Starting with the next card at The Downs, Saturday (Oct. 2), Pocono shifts to its October schedule of racing on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons, with a first post of 12:30 p.m. (EDT) up to the end of the 2021 meet on Saturday, Oct. 30. Program pages will be available at the PHHA website.

(PHHA / Pocono)