Schadel, Bako Rookies Impress In Pocono Qualifiers
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Eleven two-year-old qualifiers were held on the morning of Wednesday, June 5 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with Team Schadel — driver Todd and trainer/son Cody — combining to sweep the two colt trots and also producing the fastest winner of the day.
The quickest of the freshmen was the Schadels’ Dreamboat Hanover, who sped his mile in 1:54.2 in his first charted line, with back fractions of :55 and :27.1 in the on-the-engine victory. The impressive Papi Rob Hanover-Dagnabit Hanover gelding is owned by Todd and his wife Christine in partnership with Timothy Hayes and Dr. Megan Moschgat.
The other freshman pacing male winners already have two qualifying victories to their credit: Stonebridge Wizard, a Dancin Lou-Odds On Magic gelding, who won in 1:55.3 with a :56.3 last half for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Jared Bako — who combined three times in victory — and the American Ideal-Mako Wish colt Braydens Bandit, first in 1:58.2 for driver Mike Simons and trainer Tom Jackson.
The sweep of the two-year-old male trots by Team Schadel had the faster mile of 2:01 turned in by Andovers Hotrod, an Andover Hall-No Excuses colt. Not far behind that clocking was the 2:01.2 time of Keystone Windsor, with the Bar Hopping-Scarletts Legacy gelding recovering very nicely from an early miscue.
Fastest of all the freshman trotters of the day was another performer who now has two morning session wins, the Devious Man-Paya La Renta filly Paya La Diva, winning here in 2:00.2 for Zeron/Bako.
In the pacing filly ranks, the day’s honours went to the third Zeron/Bako horse, the Huntsville-Code One Hanover miss Cowgirl Hanover, who now has two victories in the freshman qualifiers after coming home in :56.2 to complete a 1:56 victory.
(PHHA / Pocono)