Favourites won both $15,068 claiming handicap trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and their times were within one fifth of each other – but a pair of $50+ bombers provided some diversity during the afternoon’s proceedings.

The quicker of the feature winners was the Muscle Hill-Gaelic gelding Gaelihill, who controlled the pace through :29, :58.3, and 1:27 fractions and then stepped home in :57 to hold off onrushing Boom Boom Bay (Simon Allard) by a head in 1:55.3 under the guidance of George Napolitano Jr., who led all Pocono drivers with three victories on the day. Cant Say No (Jim Marohn Jr.) was third.

Gaelihill has been quite the center of claiming activity. After winning two of three starts for trainer Dean Eckley since Aug. 11, the trotter changed hands via claim to Flying A Racing Stable – and then was claimed right back by Eckley and partner William Hartt before this victory. The owners won $7,534 today – before Gaelihill was again claimed by Flying A out of this race. The six-year-old gelding is now 18-for-87 lifetime.

The second co-featured winner, in 1:55.4, was the Muscle Mass-Whitesand Electra gelding Dart Guy, who sat third through panels of :27.4 and :57.4 then pulled first-over before three-quarters in 1:27 and trotted to a 1-1/2-length victory. He has had to go the hard uncovered route in his last two races, but both have resulted in victories for driver Anthony Napolitano and trainer Marta Piotrow, who also owns the horse under the Piotrow Racing LLC banner. The win was the 20th in 142 career appearances for the eight-year-old gelding. Its A Horse (Allard) finished second, followed by Vegas Ticket (Colin Kelly).

The first of the mutuel bombers was Real Lucky N, who, in his first start in almost four months, circled up on the far turn and got by San Domino A (Anthony Napolitano) in 1:53 to pay $73.60. The brothers Napolitano both played large roles in this longshot’s winning: many-time Pocono champion George Napolitano Jr. got his first $50+ score of the season after following the cover of the favoured horse driven by Anthony – who leads all Pocono drivers with eight bomber victories this year.

The second upset was posted by the longest shot on the board, Prairie Nugget, who paced right to the lead while uncovered nearing the three-quarters and took a new mark of 1:56.4 for driver Simon Allard, with the tote board lighting up with a $63.80 payoff.

Besides George Napolitano, multiple driving wins on the day were recorded by Allard, Anthony Napolitano, Jim Pantaleano, and Kevin Wallis. Both of Wallis’s winners are trained by Emily Bost, who had the only conditioning double.

Pocono will now take a week away from racing, during which time the track surface will be reworked. Racing resumes at the mountain oval on Saturday, Sept. 20 – and there will be a carryover for players seeking to solve the Pick 5 wager that begins in the fifth race.

(PHHA/Pocono)