Arch Madness didn’t get the chance to compete in the Breeders Crown at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs last October due to injury but on Friday night, he showed up and gained some revenge

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Against a field that included the defending Breeders Crown aged trotting champion Enough Talk, Arch Madness put on an impressive performance to win the featured Open Handicap Trot at Pocono. The race carried the night’s top purse of $30,000.

Leaving from the outside post as the 1-5 favourite, Arch Madness, driven by Brian Sears, surged past Enough Talk to take over the lead just past the quarter-mile marker. The seven-year-old gelding from the Trond Smedshammer barn set some imposing fractional times, but still powered home in the stretch to win by a length over Enough Talk in 1:52.3, the fastest trotting time of the 2011 Pocono meet so far. Winning Mister came on for third.

Arch Madness, sired by Balanced Image and owned by Marc Goldberg of Woodmere, New York and Willow Pond LLC of Hewlett, New York, stayed perfect in 2011 after starting his season with back-to-back Open wins at Chester. The gelding, who set the world record for trotting on a five-eighths oval with a win in 1:51 last season at Pocono, won for the 22nd time in 61 lifetime starts, pushing his career earnings over the $2.5 million mark.

(With files from Pocono Downs)