Uptown Hanover took her field wire-to-wire in winning the $17,500 featured pace for fillies and mares at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday afternoon (Oct. 17).
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere was three-wide early and then two-wide most of the rest of the way to the :27 quarter. Once on top, driver Marcus Miller rated the half to :55.4, picking up the pace as a first-over move from favoured Heartbreak Hotel brought her to the leader’s wheel by the 1:23.1 three-quarters. Then, Miller kept his mare going strong to draw away from Heartbreak Hotel, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.3.
Uptown Hanover has won 11 times during the 2022 campaign, contributing $144,732 towards her lifetime bankroll of $237,776. Trainer Jeff Cullipher co-owns the sharp mare with Pollack Racing LLC.
Better Watch It raised her record to 4-3-1-0 since joining up with owner Gilbert Garcia-Herrera. After cutting the pace and stringing together a pair of :27.3 quarters at the end, the mare took the $17,000 co-feature for distaffs in 1:52.1, a neck to the good of Miss Helen Hanover. Garcia-Herrera trains the daughter of Hes Watching locally, and George Napolitano Jr. did the driving as part of a double that brought him to only one behind season-long victory leader Matt Kakaley, 223-222.
Up-and-coming 22-year-old Braxten Boyd, seventh in the Pocono win standings, had the most productive sulky day with four victories.
The racing week at Pocono concludes Tuesday with a 1:30 p.m. card. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)