Papa Doc took full advantage of the rail to set the pace, slowed the half, then sprinted home in :56 to bring his mark down to 1:53 in winning the $25,694 fast-class trot on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, an October day where 11 horses set lifetime marks, including every winning horse featured in this story.
Braxten Boyd left hard with the victorious Wishing Stone gelding and forced an early “near-lineup” – the call at the quarter was 1-2-3-5-4-6-7-8. With no early movers, Papa Doc could back the half down to :57, then sprinted home at high speed; even at that, Lava Field, after the pocket journey, was hot with late trot, just missing catching the winner by a head. Papa Doc, who is trained by Mark Ford for owners George and Rose Bonomo, notched his third win in his last five trips to the gate.
There was a quartet of $23,611 races for horses climbing the class ladder to the fast-class ranks, two on each gait.
Southwind Celsius paced his last half in :53.4, most of the way uncovered, and still had enough to outfight pacesetting favourite Vici to the wire in 1:49.4. Anthony Napolitano kept the gelded sophomore son of Captain Crunch going on strongly to score for trainer Nicholas Devita and the ownership of David Hamm, Glenn Phillips and Pit Bull Stable.
Anthony Napolitano won both ends of the sub-featured paces as the other section went to heavy favourite Stay Grounded, with the Stay Hungry gelding having to go up first-over, but he still had enough to wear down pacesetting Vandiemen Bluechip in 1:50.1. Trainer Noel Daley is co-owner with Dean Ehrgott and Waldron Matthews.
The faster of the trotting events reinforced the fact that Super Duper Cooper, one of the most consistent horses on the New York stakes scene in his two years of racing, has really taken to Pocono, remaining undefeated in two starts and reducing his best to 1:52.4. Jason Bartlett sent the E L Titan gelding away quickly and let him control his fate, and no one could stay with the John Butenschoen trainee, now a winner of $428,808 and promising more for owners Timothy Drag, James Crawford IV and Carl Austin Jr.
The other sub-feature for the diamond-gaiters was won by the Trixton gelding Scotty Deo in 1:54.1 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Charlie Norris and owners Carrie Norris and LJB Racing. Racing on the engine, Scotty Deo was under serious pressure from an uncovered challenger on the far turn, but when that rival broke, the path to the winner's circle was clear for the victor in three of his last five.
The fastest clocking of the day was a 1:49 mile from the Sportswriter gelding Sporty M Three for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. However, it should be said he had a little help in establishing a mark: Stewardoftheland went out and put up mind-boggling fractions of :25.2, :52.1 and 1:19.4, keeping the lead until mid-stretch before giving way; meanwhile, Tyler Buter moved Sporty M Three four-wide headstretch and paced over tired chasers for the victory.
The Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George, joined Tyler Buter in winning three races on the day.
The American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC), in town for the club’s fall trotting series, presented a donation at Pocono Downs for the Standardbred Transition Alliance. AHDC President Anthony Verruso led the presentation of a $2,000 cheque for the Standardbred Transition Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charity which validates and distributes grants to various organizations that rehabilitate, train and house Standardbred horses. Pocono Downs’ director of racing and race secretary Rick Kane joined Verruso and members of the AHDC to accept the cheque on behalf of the Standardbred Transition Alliance.
“I want to thank the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association for their continued support of our club’s races,” said Verruso. “We enjoy getting to travel to different tracks and it’s great to have the local horsemen and women be so welcoming to us. And we get to race for good causes; a win-win.”
Tony Beltrami delivered a pair of chalks to notch tallies in the two $13,889 races held for the club, winning with 4-5 choice Kobe B in a 1:57.3 mile and 1-2 favourite Quiksilvr Bluechip in 1:56.3. Both winners are trained by Richard Johnson with the former owned by Robert Weinstein and the latter by Carmen Iannacone
There will be racing at Pocono on both Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m., with the John Simpson Sr. Stakes starting up – events on Monday include races for freshman colt pacers and sophomore filly trotters, while three-year-old pacing distaffs will be in the spotlight on Tuesday.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono & AHDC)