Trainer Ron Burke and driver Simon Allard made for a successful pairing on the Saturday afternoon (June 4) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning the feature pace and also combining to post the quickest trotting time of the year.

Ultimaroca has now won half of his eight starts this season after taking the $17,500 pacing feature in a lifetime-best 1:49.4. The Rockin Image gelding went to the quarter in :26.3, briefly yielded to Lets Roll, then retook the top before the blistering :53.4 half and continued to a 1:21.4 three-quarters. He then still had enough to roll home in :28, four lengths superior to favourite Straight Up Cool grinding first over. Allard guided the winner for trainer Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Phil Collura.

The fastest trotting mile of 2022 at Pocono, 1:52.1, was clicked by the four-year-old Explosive Matter gelding Storm Is Raging, who is now three-for-three since coming under Burke’s care. Allowed to escape at 12-1 while jumping several classes, sharp form trumped “class” here as Allard tucked third early, then rushed the developing diamondgaiter to the lead heading to three-quarters and stormed home in 28.1 to leave heavy favourite Third Shift 3-1/2 lengths in his wake. The vastly-improved horse is co-owned by Carl Cocciolone, Mark Sosovicka, and Jack Piatt III.

Storm Is Raging set his standard in an undercard event; the $17,500 featured trot went to Rich And Miserable, a winner of $621,589 who rallied from behind a fast pace to tally in 1:52.3 — a half-length ahead of resilient pacesetter Marion Gondolier. Completing a sweep of the card’s notable trots for sire Explosive Matter, the gelding was driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Todd Buter and the ownership of Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs.

Simon Allard and trainer Jennifer Bongiorno each had four winners on the Saturday card, and there was a kind of symmetry in their quadruples: Allard, as noted, had two of his wins for Burke and the other two for Bongiorno, while the trainer had Allard drive two (including a 1:49 victory by Somebaddude) and Jason Bartlett a pair.

Sunday’s (June 5) 5 p.m. (EDT) card at Pocono features three-year-old trotting fillies in three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event, slotted for Races 3, 7, and 10. Mon Cheval, Dreamonhigh, and Palermo Hanover are the early chalk in their respective divisions. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.         

(PHHA / Pocono)