The Explosive Matter gelding Sortie made an explosive sortie around the second turn to the lead, then went on to capture the $12,500 featured trot on Tuesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:54.2.

Driver Braxten Boyd had Sortie in mid-pack as they field passed the stands when, sensing a slow pace, he got his trotter fired up quickly and moved him to the lead entering the backstretch. A :27.2 burst in the third quarter left all but favoured Vics Winner well behind, and through the stretch Sortie kept his only rival at bay, winning by 1-3/4 lengths for trainer Steve Brabrook and owner Jaypaul Hoover while boosting his career earnings to $417,805.

The two-year-old trotters made their first pari-mutuel starts at The Downs on Tuesday. First up were the colts, and they put on a good exhibition, with trainer/driver Tom Jackson able to keep the Trixton–Ophelia colt Optrix rolling after coming first-over late on the backstretch, scoring a 1:59.4 decision by a nose over favoured Scotty Deo, with closer Kobe B just a head away from taking it all in third. Jackson also co-owns the gritty colt with Tyler Gunderson, Jenna Cornelison and Howard Taylor.

The winner in the filly race went even quicker: a 1:58.4 was put up by the International Moni–Seaside miss Tipsy Moni, who had two back quarters of :29.1 to complete the engine victory. Tyler Buter drove the precocious youngster, who had won both her baby qualifiers in 2:02, for trainer/owner D. R. Ackerman.

There’s top racing when Pocono resumes racing on Saturday at 1:30 and Sunday at 5:00. Saturday features a $27,500 winners-over pace, with Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi looking for his sixth win in his last seven starts, but needing to overcome the outside post eight. On Sunday over $200,000 in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action is highlighted by divisional leader Treacherous Dragon, fresh off her win in the Fan Hanover final.

(PHHA / Pocono)