Robert Michael advanced in a live outer flow, went three-wide when his cover faltered on the turn, then continued his surge to take the $21,528 conditioned trotting feature at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The altered son of Crazy Wow-Mymomsablizzard got away sixth, then moved closer down the backstretch to the favoured pacesetter Santa Cristina (Braxten Boyd), who passed the poles in :28.2, :57.1, and 1:26.2. Continuing his advancement from three-wide into the stretch, Robert Michael finally reached the pacesetter late and surged by to win by a neck under the guidance of Ridge Warren while lowering his mark to 1:55.1. Rothko (Simon Allard) finished third.
The winning four-year-old is owned by Robert Weinstein and trained by Richard Johnson, the only conditioning doubler on the card. Robert Michael is now five-for-34 lifetime. He paid $6.20 to win.
In one of two $20,139 conditioned co-features for improving pacers, the Cattlewash-Merga Hanover sophomore gelding Expedited Service loafed his way on the engine to the half, then burst home in :54.2 to leave favoured Notorious Hanover (Anthony Napolitano) 1-1/4 lengths behind and lower his mark to 1:52.2. Wicked Value (Jim Pantaleano) was third. George Napolitano Jr. drove the victorious three-year-old for trainer Johnson and owner Guy Gemore.
The other co-feature continued the “where did that one come from?” trend that has had a recent grip on the local pari-mutuel action. Longshots Smooch In The Dark (James Kennedy) and Captivated (Warren) sat two-three along the inside as quick fractions were argued, then found stretch clearance, with Smooch In The Dark grabbing the lead in early stretch and withstanding the horse behind him by three parts of a length in a new mark of 1:53 for driver Kennedy. Touchback (Tyler Buter) was third. The winner, a three-year-old son of Tall Dark Stranger-Sweet Smooch, is owned and trained by Geovany Hernandez. There wasn’t a straight triactor ticket sold on this race — the payoff was 1-2-all, and the race generated the third superfecta carryover of the day.
How Smooch In The Dark could return $125.20 to win while taking his third victory in his last four starts is one matter, but the large increase of rank outsiders winning at The Downs is making a few players very happy and leaving the rest scratching their heads. With Duckies Dynasty ($55.20) having taken an earlier race, Tuesday marked the second straight day that a pair of $50+ winners lit up the Pocono board. In the six cards since Pocono came back from its track refurbishment on Sept. 20, seven “bombers” have led to pari-mutuel carryovers.
George Napolitano Jr. and Warren each had three victories on the card to top the sulky colony.
Racing returns to the mountain oval on Saturday at 1 p.m., when there will be a double carryover into the fifth-race Pick 5 wager and a single carryover into the fourth-race Pick 3 – not surprising given the many surprise finishes over the Pocono surface recently. Monday and Tuesday programs at 1 p.m. complete Pocono’s fall basic schedule.
(PHHA/Pocono)