After a Yonkers Raceway Open win last out, Endofstory returned to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, Nov. 7 and charged off cover to nab the $38,732 Winners Over Handicap Pace by a nose.

Assigned the outside was Calicojack Hanover (Tyler Buter), favoured as he came off a second in his Breeders Crown final, but there was quite a donnybrook for early command. He tucked fourth and rode mid-pack through fractions of :26.3 and :55.1, then came first-over before the 1:22.3 three quarters. In the outer tier behind the chalk’s cover were the Lazarus N-Olivette Hanover gelding Endofstory second-over, with Fifth And Five (Jonathan Ahle), the winner of last week’s Pocono feature, right on that one’s bumper. In the stretch drive, those near the front gave some ground, and Endofstory displayed a good stretch move to both take the lead in midstretch and hold it to the wire over Fifth And Five in a 1:51.1 mile. Captain Moore A (Braxten Boyd) finished third. 

George Napolitano Jr. guided Endofstory, whose $34.80 win mutuel was the largest of the day, for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr. and owners David Linker, Brian Loman, Robert Venable and Kyle Warren. The winning five-year-old gelding is now 22-for-65 lifetime.

In the $29,577 sub-featured fast-class race, the Sweet Lou-Running On Faith seven-year-old gelding Jolimont N ($8.60) was in the back half of the field past the three-quarters, but he rolled wide mid-turn and edged out Pocono Pike threat and favourite Captinhammerhead A (Braxten Boyd) by a neck in 1:51.1. Art Of Revenge (Anthony Napolitano) finished third. A winner in the track’s highest class in early October, Jolimont N found lowering a level the perfect tonic for victory for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.

The card also featured three $14,085 divisions of the second preliminary of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series (GOCPS) for horses base-tagged at $17,361. Two horses are now two-for-two in the series: Greater Than Aces ($9), claimed out of the first leg and here winning in 1:53.2 over the only two series pacers being claimed Saturday (South Point and Always Rockin); and Jackie Moon ($4.40), one of the few wire-to-wire winners on the card with a 1:54.2 victory.

In the other section, Doobie Nights ($6.60) came from the pocket to catch Pompeo Hanover in 1:53.4. But even with their bright showings here, neither will make the $17,500 USD GOCPS championship on closing day (Nov. 21), as for each this was their first series start, and the rules require all finalists to start in every prelim.

Jackie Moon led a training triple for Darren Taneyhill, who also scored with Ace Of Aces ($4.40) and Joy In Mudville ($8.60). Those successes narrowed Ron Burke’s seasonal lead to 78-73 with six days left in the meet.

The four leading drivers at Pocono in 2026 were the quartet of sulkysitters to have multi-win days on the 14-race program. Anthony Napolitano had four victories to run his total to 17 in the last four cards, but even that burst will not threaten meet leader Tyler Buter, who himself checked in first three times (dead-heating with the former in one race). George Napolitano Jr. and Braxten Boyd, third and fourth in the standings respectively, each had two successes.

Racing at Pocono returns Monday at 1 p.m. and will feature trotters in an $18,500 USD fast-class conditioned feature and in two $15,000 USD divisions of the final prelim leg of the Winter Is Coming Pop Up Series.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono)