The Muscle Mass mare Supergirl Riley made an early move to the lead and trotted strongly to take the $17,500 trotting feature Sunday night, Oct. 13 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning in 1:52.3.
Fresh off a 1:51.3 lifetime best at Lexington, Supergirl Riley was kept midpack early by driver Simon Allard, then moved at the quarter and grabbed the lead as the field neared the wire the first time. A final quarter of :28.1 was sufficient to keep the nearest challenger, the first-over Hill Of A Horse, two-and-a-quarter lengths at bay; the latter photoed out pocket-sitter The Lionking As for place. Pocono’s leading trainer, Rene Allard, trains the winner of three of her last four, who boosted her lifetime earnings to $457,713 for Allard Racing Inc., John Lengacher, and Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.
There were three $17,000 co-features for horses looking to climb the class ladder; two of the races were for pacers.
In the contest for males, the Captaintreacherous sophomore gelding Seafarer was the last choice in the field of five and last at headstretch, but he closed solidly to nose out JK Musicman while taking a mark of 1:50.4. Driver Marcus Miller got the timing just right with the winner of three of his last five for trainer and father Erv Miller and the ownership of Ervin Miller Stable Inc. and Tanah Merah Farms LLC.
Marcus and Erv Miller came right back in the next race, the co-feature for pacing females, with another Captaintreacherous sophomore, Alli Nui, who also set a lifetime best with a 1:50.3 mile. Alli Nui sat behind pacesetting favourite Bestseller Hanover, moved out in the stretch to get the lead, then withstood the late kick of Blue Ivy by one-and-a-half lengths for Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Hannah Miller, Nick Surick Stable LLC, and Louis Willinger.
In the trotting contest, Macmorris Hanover was outside early and not able to clear to the lead until almost the second turn, yet he still had enough to hold off favoured Fade Into You by one-and-a-half lengths in 1:55.2 for driver Pat Lachance. The Cantab Hall sophomore gelding has now been victorious in two of his last three starts for trainer Bob Baggitt Jr. and owners Ben Mudry, Douglas Millard, Timothy Murray, and Howard Taylor.
(PHHA/Pocono)