Laferraridmanche S (pictured above) would (name translated) make one think that she might have the most horsepower on Sunday (dimanche), but she was plenty fast on Monday (June 15) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, taking the $27,778 fast-class trot in 1:53.1 for a new mark.

The daughter of Brad De Veluwe got away third for driver Braxten Boyd, but after the :28.1 opener he sent her motoring up to the lead, reaching the half in :55.4 and the three quarters in 1:24.1. The Yonkers shipper had a pretty easy time of it through the lane, with Kinnder Thinktwice, the slight 2-1 favourite over the equally-priced winner only able to get within two lengths of her at the wire. Trainer Andrew Harris co-owns the Swedish-bred with the French name with Ray Lasky of Mechanicville, NY and Nathan Cockerham of Boiling Springs, SC.

There were three $21,528 divisions for a class for developing horses; two on the trot and one on the pace. The one on the pace was for fillies and mares, and Tall Dark Tequila, a Tall Dark Stranger filly coming off a Stallion Series (StS) victory, won for the second straight time, with her 1:52 time just a fifth off her mark, taken in the StS at The Meadows. Tall Dark Tequila made two moves from the outside post eight and controlled the pace the last half, with pocket-sitter Andiamo getting to her rump but no closer as the Hunter Oakes trainee was driven by Tyler Buter for Flying A Racing Stable of Bear Creek Township, PA and Chuck Pompey of Archbald, PA.

The quickest of the two diamond-gaited sub-features saw Waterfall, a son of Walner, overcome a first-over journey to win a three-way stretch fight while stopping the clock in 1:54.2; False Dogma to the winner’s right and Bruha to his left gave a good accounting of themselves but could not pick up the big check. Anthony Napolitano drove for trainer Anthony Faulkner and owner Jaypaul Hoover of Ephrata, PA.

In the other trotting division, the Father Patrick gelding Matthews got forward position, then moved uncovered early on the backstretch to the lead at the other end of the straightaway and was thereafter unthreatened en route to a 1:55.1 victory. Tyler Buter had the sulky duty for trainer Cote Keim and El Dorado Stables of Ft Meyers, FL.

Three $18,056 divisions of the final preliminary of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series (GOCPS), for horses priced this week at $20,000 USD, yielded two repeat winners who should warrant serious consideration in their $20,000 USD GOCPS Championship next Monday (June 22).

Both double winners won two photos and lost one in the prelims, both obviously winning on Monday. Building Boost won his first leg by a head, was second last week by a neck, and here made a move to the top early and carried on to defeat Simon Says Hanover by a head in 1:51.2 for driver Ridge Warren.

Building Boost started from the rail; River Ness started on the opposite side of the gate, in post eight. Yet after dropping a head decision in week one, River Ness has now won by a head and then here by a neck over Nvrfearlloydishere in 1:53.1 under Anthony Napolitano’s handling. But as can happen under the rules, River Ness was claimed for $20,000 just before the Championship.

Xmarxthespot, previously a non-winner in the series but successful in his three races before that, made his chances for the final much brighter, tallying by a “luxurious” half-length over Ballad Einstein in 1:52.1 under the handling of Simon Allard.

Tyler Buter, the leading driver at The Downs, won five times on Monday and is triumphing at a 24% clip so far in June. Braxten Boyd (third for the meet) won three straight races, and Anthony Napolitano (#2 for the season) had a double.

The pari-mutuel week at Pocono closes Tuesday (June 16) with a 1 p.m. card.

(With files from PHHA / Pocono Downs)