After having not recorded a charted line in 11 months, a $210,000 yearling purchase made his return to the track Tuesday morning (March 11).

The first qualifiers of Pocono Downs’ 2014 racing season were held on Tuesday morning, and the weather cooperated as the horses hit the track starting at 10 a.m.

The track was listed as ‘fast,’ as the mild temperature was a balmy 44 degrees under brilliant sunshine. After a long, harsh seemingly endless winter, the track was in terrific shape for the 11-dash session.

In the first qualifier, Matt Kakaley and Match Play tripped the teletimer in 1:59 flat for trainer Brewer Adams.

Match Play is a four-year-old son of Donato Hanover out of the millionaire Yankee Glide mare Stroke Play. The bay horse has made just four pari-mutuel starts in his two years at the races – three of those starts came last year at three. Prior to Tuesday morning, the last time Match Play recorded a charted line was April 17, 2013 at Pocono.

In the eighth race of the morning, Keystone Neptune paced a 1:54.4 mile, the fastest of the morning races, with Anthony Napolitano in tow. The pacer took over at the half and never looked back, winning by two and three-quarter lengths over Quicksilvercandy A.

In all, six out of the 11 qualifying races went in 1:57 or faster.

Qualifiers are also scheduled for this Thursday and next Thursday. Opening night is Saturday, March 22. Racing nights are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday with first-race post time at 6:30 p.m. Fridays will be added in July and August; September through November, racing will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

(With files from Pocono Downs)