The John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes series opened its annual stay at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, Sept. 26, with three $42,253 divisions for sophomore pacing males. 

The series honours the Hall of Fame horseman and breeding executive with a race in each of the eight stakes categories named after a horse with whom he was associated in his career, with Saturday's dubbed the Albatross. The conditions — moist, cool and windy with a sloppy track most of the card —  were suboptimal, but the racing was first-rate.

“I really didn’t expect a 1:49 mile today,” said Pocono announcer Jim Beviglia, but that’s exactly what was delivered by the Downbytheseaside-See You At Peelers gelding Gentlemans Club ($2.10) in winning his cut to improve to four-for-11 this year. Like most winners on the day, Gentlemans Club, just a head off in third in the Meadowlands Pace, came from behind, grinding up after fractions of :26.4, :54 and 1:21.3 to seize the lead approaching headstretch and draw off by five lengths. Andrew McCarthy had the drive behind the winner of $680,396 and nine races in 21 career starts for trainer Aaron Lambert and owner Anthony Licastro. The front-stepping Everlast Sting Deo (Matt Kakaley) held second over Dancin Daddy (Ridge Warren)

McCarthy took another stakes division with the only non-favourite of the winning Simpson trio, tucking third with the Papi Rob Hanover-Dancethenightaway gelding Callmebigpapi ($17.80) and staying pylon bound through fractions of :26.4, :55.3 and 1:23.4. The outer tiers stalled, and favoured Superchamp Hanover (Matt Kakaley) looked ready to pounce from the Pocono Pike – only to get out-closed to his left by the winner, fifth at the stretch call but kicking home himself in :27 to edge Superchamp Hanover at 7-1 by a half-length. Good Friday (Brett Beckwith) completed the top three after cutting the mile. The winner, now three-for-24 with $181,446 banked, tied his mark of 1:51.1 for trainer Noel Daley and the ownership of Patricia Stables LLC, L. A. Express Stable LLC, Sjoeblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. He is three-for-16 on the season.

The Captaintreacherous-Kate Cant Wait gelding Another C Note ($2.60), who won three legs of his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in May, is still going on well in September, recording his 11th victory of the year in 17 outings with a three-quarter-length tally over Highland B Best (Troy Beyer) in 1:50.1. Highland B Best quarter-moved after a :27 opener and put up middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.2, but Another C Note kept on coming for leading driver Tyler Buter despite an uncovered journey and got the decision. Pa Luke (Ridge Warren) was third. Another C Note scored his 14th win in 29 attempts and grew his bankroll to $346,465 for the leading trainer at Pocono, Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Scott Dillon. 

The $38,732 Winners Over Pace went to one of the few speed horses to hold to the wire, the So Surreal-Sugarcoated gelding Splash Brother ($13.80), who fired off fractions of 26.2, :55, and 1:22.3, then was held together by driver Braxten Boyd to have a three-quarter-length margin at the 1:50.1 finish. The nine-year-old scored his fifth win of the season in 14 starts and moved to 36-for-170 lifetime with $1,016,589 in earnings for trainer Ray Schnittker, co-owner with Nolamaura Racing LLC, Steven Arnold and Tammy Flannery. The victory was the fourth in the last five starts for Splash Brother; the only horse to beat him recently, Congressional (Matt Kakaley), again raced in the pocket behind the winner but this time could not catch him and was placed third for a pylon violation. Always A Thrill (Matt Kakaley) was promoted to second.

Trainer Darren Taneyhill had the most successful day of all horsemen, visiting Victory Lane four times on the 14-race program. He took the early double with pocket-trippers Caviart Camden ($3) and Whiskey Breath ($9.20), then won the 11th race with Gentle Giant ($8.20) and completed bookends with Art Of Revenge ($4.20) in the finale. Taneyhill sits second in the Pocono standings with 61 wins, 10 back of Burke, and is 65-for-281 overall on the year.

Three drivers had driving doubles, with Brett Beckwith the only one of this trio to win with a Taneyhill horse; the other two-time winners were Braxten Boyd and stakes doubler Andrew McCarthy.

The foul weather that soaked Pocono’s Saturday card is hanging over the area, causing Sunday’s card to be canceled at Pocono’s sister PHHA track, Harrah’s Philadelphia. It is hoped that the moisture is ended by Pocono’s next scheduled card, Monday at 1 p.m., when fast-class trotters are set to contest an $18,500 USD feature.

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Gentlemans Club winning on Sept. 26)