Dandy Ideal, winner of the Hempt Memorial last summer at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, returned to that track for his 2026 debut on Saturday, May 30 and won the $38,194 Winners Over Pace by a length against a nemesis from last year, Twisted Destiny.

Matt Kakaley maneuvered the American Ideal-Ok Heavenly gelding, coming off a 1:50.2 qualifying win at Pocono, to the lead by the :27.1 quarter, then had him to the next two poles in a moderate-for-this-group :55 and 1:22.4. Twisted Destiny (Patrick Ryder) had to travel the uncovered route and raced well, but he couldn’t reach the Hunter Oakes-trained winner, who stopped the clock in 1:49.4. Spring Blake (Braxten Boyd) finished third.

Dandy Ideal now has career earnings of $1,507,774 and 17 wins in 30 starts.  Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston own the four-year-old, who took a mark of 1:48 in his Breeders Crown elimination at Woodbine Mohawk Park last year. Saturday's win price was $2.80.

Ruthless Hanover, the fastest horse ever on a five-eighths mile track with his 1:46.3 win at Philly in 2023, posted the fastest clocking this year at Pocono, 1:49.1, in winning the $27,778 conditioned sub-feature. The altered son of Somebeachsomewhere-Rockaroundthetrack reached the top in the vicinity of a :27 quarter, then froze the timer at :54 and 1:22 through the middle half, gaining a cushion from the pocket horse breaking and causing confusion nearing three-quarters.

George Napolitano Jr., driving for Team Cancelliere — trainer Tom and owner John — gave only mild vocal encouragement through the lane, and Ruthless Hanover won handily by 8-1/4 lengths. Cranbourne N (Ridge Warren) was second, with Rockstar Artist A (Braxten Boyd) fourth placed third. The nine-year-old Ruthless Hanover has now earned $1,164,508 and won 29 of 85 starts. He paid $2.40 to win.

There were three $24,306 conditioned contests for developing horses, one on the pace and two on the trot. In the pacing section, the Papi Rob Hanover-Real Touch gelding Papis Rocket ($4.40) was one of three winners on the 11-race card for the combination of defending driving champion Tyler Buter and Ron Burke, top trainer here five of the last six years. He raced on the engine and then withstood an onrushing Heaven Needs Me in 1:51 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Slaughter Racing Stable LLC. 

The Burke-Buter combination also won with Art Of Revenge ($24) from post seven in the opener and Goliath Hanover ($11.80) in the sixth race. Burke, the leading trainer in North America, is third in the Pocono standings with 27 wins, one back of second-placed Darren Taneyhill and seven off leader Per Engblom.

Among the sub-featured trotting events, the Fiftydallarbill-Skyla Blu gelding Fiftyshadesofblu ($14.40) won the faster division, reducing his mark to 1:54.1 while passing every split on top for George Napolitano Jr., trainer Britney Dillon and owner Joseph Musser Trust. The other diagonally-gaited winner was the Father Patrick-Fifty Shades gelding Non Disclosure ($6), who lost his cover to a break early in the backstretch but continued raw and left his field behind in 1:54.3. Ridge Warren was in the sulky for trainer David Wisser, who shares ownership with Rebecca Callen.

George Napolitano Jr., with 15 Pocono driving win crowns to his credit, had a triple on the program. Ridge Warren visited victory lane twice.

Nine consecutive Sunday 5 p.m. twilight cards begin with the next Pocono program on May 31, with a feature fast-class trot, the return of the American Harness Drivers Club of amateur sulkysmiths, and carryovers into the fifth-race Pick 5 and the 10th-and-last-race High 5.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono)