The rain started coming down in earnest about mid-card on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, though the featured events had strongly-backed horses continue to display solid recent form and emerge victorious despite the developing off going.

The headliners were two $22,973 trotting contests. In the first, favoured Cassius Hanover tripped the timer first in 1:54.2, but there was a problem: Cassius Hanover had been sitting third when the longshot pocket-sitter began to back up early down the backstretch, and to avoid major trouble Cassius Hanover a) went to a run and b) went into the infield. Both of these events continued on to the wire, resulting in Cassius Hanover’s disqualification, and the Father Patrick gelding Partner Dolan, who crossed the wire in 1:55, was moved up from second to first for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Jenny Melander and Friendship Stables LLC.

Things went a bit more smoothly in the other top trot, as favoured Chezactic (pictured above), an altered son of Tactical Landing, made every pole a winning one in 1:54.3. Anthony Napolitano guided the Sheena Cohen trainee to success for Elite Harness Racing LLC.

In the $22,297 fast-class pace, the Always B Miki gelding Congressional worked out a two-hole journey, then caught pacesetter Pat McGarry A to post a 1:50.2 final clocking. A non-cheque-getter in one start at two, Congressional has now won more than $100,000 in both his three-year-old and this, his four-year-old season. Kevin Wallis is his driver, trainer and owner.

The fastest mile of the day came just before the rain moved in, from the Nob Hill High gelding Nob Hill Flash, who challenged raw from before the far turn and paced on to a 1:49.3 lifetime mark. Anthony Napolitano drove for trainer Pierre Paradis and owner Karen Lynne Taylor.

Another notable tally was posted by the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Nicholas Beach, as the 1:47 pacer with more than a half-million dollars in lifetime earnings posted a strong engine win in 1:50.1 in the slop for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Joe Bongiorno and the partnership of John Lengacher, Melco Devim Inc., and Jennifer Bongiorno Stable.

Braxten Boyd, Matt Kakaley and Anthony Napolitano each turned in a driving triple; two of Kakaley’s scores were for trainer Joe Bongiorno, the day’s only doubler in that sector.

Pocono has cut back to its three-day-a-week schedule, which means the next racing at the mountain oval will take place on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m. A week from Monday, Pocono will be proud to host the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and consolation events for the four three-year-old state-sired groups of top horses, worth $1.2 million USD. 

(PHHA / Pocono)