A mere head away from being unbeaten in nine starts since coming Stateside earlier this year, the Johny Rock-Fun Sponge mare Raspalia N continued to show top-level potential with a 1:51.1 victory in the featured $23,649 conditioned distaff pace on Monday, May 4 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Tyler Buter, in his last of five wins on the card, got a two-hole trip with Raspalia N as Sammy Jo Hanover (Jim Marohn Jr.) set sail and cut fractions of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.1. The Kiwi import moved out on the far turn, overhauled the pacesetter, then withstood the rail-skimming Please Be You (Braxten Boyd) by three-quarters of a length. Sammy Jo Hanover was third.

Raspalia N's sole defeat in the U.S. came at the hands of Worklifebalance, a New Jersey Sire Stakes and New Jersey Classic winner last year, and she had to make two moves from an outer post and was just photoed in 1:50. The Agostino Abbatiello trainee seems to have the speed and temperament to be competitive against the top-drawer distaffs, and she still has another start in this class under the also-eligible earnings condition. The five-year-old, now 10-for-22 lifetime, is owned by Durazzano Stable LLC. She paid $2.40 to win.

Tyler Buter widened his lead at the top of the local drivers' standings, increasing his chances of being a seasonal repeat winner at The Downs by visiting victory lane five times on the 13-race card. He also won with Tulhurstsantanna A ($6.40), Knoxville ($4), Cash Back ($49) and Hoosier Celebrity ($2.40) to raise his meet total to 66. He is 10 wins in front of second-placed Anthony Napolitano.

A race before the feature, trotters had their turn in the spotlight with a $20,945 conditioned contest for up-and-comers, taken by Melissa P ($3.20), who made two moves to control the pace and take a new mark of 1:55.3. Anthony Napolitano was in the sulky behind the Swan In A Million-Fortuona K mare for trainer Vinny Ginsburg and owner Jaypaul Hoover.

Doubles on the card were recorded by drivers Braxten Boyd and Anthony Napolitano, along with trainer Jean Drolet.

Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono has excitement on two fronts, one being the return of the Game Of Claims Series as trotters base-priced at $20,000 USD in this first prelim will go for $15,000 USD in each of four divisions. The other is two drivers both making their first career pari-mutuel starts in the same race, starting side-by-side, which normally wouldn’t garner big attention. But one of them is UFC lightweight superstar Charles Oliveira, who drove in his native Brazil and beat Tim Tetrick in an exhibition race at Yonkers in 2021. The other is a fellow Brazilian, Josias Santos, who won a qualifying race last week at Pocono.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono)