After racing the likes of multi-champion mare Anndrovette earlier in the month, the Rocknroll Hanover mare Empress Deo has enjoyed some class relief in her last couple of starts and has responded with a pair of victories, with Friday's coming in the $24,000 featured pace for mares at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

First to the quarter in :26.1 for driver George Napolitano Jr., Empress Deo relinquished the lead to 2014 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace winner Sayitall BB and sat behind that one through middle splits of :54.2 and 1:22.2. Turning into the stretch, "George Nap," The Downs' leading driver and coming off of consecutive months of 100 or more driving wins, guided "The Empress" to the famed Pocono Pike and the mare used the inner route to maximum effect, winning by a neck in 1:50.4, lowering her personal best by a tick. Wayne Givens trains the nine-time seasonal winner for Legacy Racing of DE Inc.

Earlier in the card, Napolitano's brother Anthony, third in the Downs' standings, guided First Impression from the outside post nine to victory at a $141.80 win mutuel, second this year only to the $152.60 ticker generated by Marathon Man (Brandon Simpson) on May 18.

First Impression had a fast first half after which to close, but he was five-wide and probably closer to the paddock judge's office than to the inside pylons swinging for home; still, he came from seventh in early stretch to get the half-length victory for owner Martin Chouinard.

The triumph was only the 10th conditioning success in the still-young career of trainer Jamie Kirin -- but he had already demonstrated his ability to win with a lightly-regarded horse, as in his very first training win, on October 13, 2012 at Pocono, the Kirin-harnessed Artsbred Camotion teamed with driver Matt Kakaley to light up the board to the tune of $96.00!

Over $1.7 million will be on the line Saturday night at The Downs on a card which will feature four $350,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for three-year-olds, with national-caliber stars such as Wakizashi Hanover, Wild Honey, and Uncle Lasse among the major contenders in their respective events. (None of them are expected to pay $141.80, or even combined or parlayed.)

(PHHA/Pocono)