The John Simpson Sr. Stakes continued on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with $166,667 divided equally among four divisions of the Albatross three-year-old pace for males and $162,514 distributed in three divisions of the Davidia Hanover for two-year-old trotting females.

Driver Tyler Buter, leading pilot on the day at Pocono with four visits to Victory Lane, teamed with trainer Nifty Norman for two wins among the stakes males. They both fulfilled the basic “blueprint” of the day’s stakes winners: be well-supported by the public and race on or near the lead -- that decision sometimes influenced by strong winds that varied in direction during the day.

The faster of the Buter/Norman successes were the Always B Miki gelding Its Saturday Night, who took a new mark of 1:51 on this Saturday afternoon. Its Saturday Night, the second choice, was used to make the lead, then pushed favourite Rush In to clear to the half and then sit a pocket journey. Buter kept the sophomore in behind the favourite until early stretch, then moved him out and ran down the chalk to win by the shortest possible margin for Dune Road Stables.

The second of the pairing’s winners was the Bettors Wish gelding Wish You Well, who fit the “blueprint” in the opposite way from his stablemate: he was the favourite and he set the pace, getting his own fractions and holding on by a neck over pocket pursuer De La Hoya Hanover by a neck in 1:52.3. The winner is owned and bred by Kovach Stables.

Sire Bettors Wish got a second credit in this section when the gelding Arbitrage Hanover won for the ninth time in 12 starts during 2024. Jack Pelling kept the favourite behind leading second choice Maxim Hanover for the meat of the mile, then turned his own last quarter in :27 to get home first by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:51.4 for trainer Brett Pelling and owners Pelling Racing, Rojan Stables and Bridle Path Stables.

The fastest Albatross winner was the Huntsville gelding Huntingforchrome (pictured above), who won in 1:50 while steaming home from the two-hole to catch Vengeance Blue Chip, bet to 1-2 vs. Huntingforchrome’s 2-1, by 1-3/4 lengths. The potent Pocono pairing of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander combined to get a winning performance for owner NY Seb Inc.

The Davidia Hanover also had a double win situation for a driver-trainer combo of Ridge Warren and Marcus Melander, and again following the normal pattern of the day. The Gimpanzee miss and favourite Mimosatomartini S made every pole a winning one, setting her own pace then holding the pocket-sitter Swoop by a half-length in 1:56.3 for Courant Inc.

Warren/Melander success also came to the Maharajah filly Margareta Hanover, the odds-on favourite, in 1:56.4. Margareta Hanover was just behind a prolonged duel between pacesetter Halfadozen and Bouquet, then responded quickly when taken to the Pocono Pike and won by 1-1/4 lengths over the uncovered dueller for owner Russell Williams.

The fastest filly stakes winner broke her maiden while winning her cut in 1:56.2: the Southwind Frank miss Hangover. The winner’s five-horse field had two horses break early and one starting to gap early, so this race was basically a matchup between the winner and leading Princess Jackie, with the winner rallying to a three-quarters-of-a-length margin on the money for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Åke Svanstedt Inc., Joe Sbrocco And JAF Racing, Little E and Rivers Stable. (And if we said that the winner was the third choice, especially in a five-horse field, the race still did follow the “blueprint”: the favourite, who broke, was 3-2, the pacesetter was 8-5 and the winner was 9-5!).

(With files from PHHA / Pocono)