Aggiornamento, which is the Italian word for “modernization,” updated his career statistics to five wins in six races with a hard-fought 1:55 victory in the Monday afternoon feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Driver Tom Jackson, after the race just four wins away from a career total of 5,000, was able to sit third with the three-year-old Nuncio gelding until the five-eighths, while By The Book took the field to the quarter in :28 and then yielded to Abruzzo before the :56.4 half. Aggiornamento grinded his way up to the pacesetter nearing the three-quarter pole in 1:25.4 and battled him the rest of the way en route to a half-length score.

Aggiornamento was undefeated in four starts at two, including a victory in the Kentucky stakes program. In his first start of 2022, he made a break at the start but rallied for a dead-heat for third; this victory reinforces that the Fred Grant trainee, owned by Russell Williams, could be one to watch in the next few weeks.

Jackson later got his 4,997th in dramatic fashion, rallying the 1-5 favourite, Magical Journey, from last after an early miscue to win bravely in 1:57.1. Tom tied with Simon Allard and Anthony Napolitano as posting driving doubles.

The racing week concludes Tuesday at The Downs with a 1:30 p.m. card. 

Rick Kane, the Director of Racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, would like horsemen to note an updated item about the $100,000 Invitationals on each gait scheduled during the afternoon $2 million Sun Stakes Saturday card on August 20.

The important update is that, in contrast to what had been announced earlier, places in these Invitationals will not be based on seasonal earnings of the horses – the best and brightest will compete in these complementary races to the top events for the three-year-olds.

The two colt events, the Earl Beal Memorial Trot and the Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace, will have a top division of $300,000, with entry level to the three-year-old races based on 2022 earnings, with $200,000 and $100,000 consolations, respectively, for the next highest money earners. The two filly events, the James Lynch Memorial for pacers and the Delmonica Hanover for trotters, will operate in the same fashion on a $250,000 - $125,000 - $75,000 purse scale.

Horsemen are invited to direct any further questions to Rick Kane at 570 831 2228.

(PHHA / Pocono)