Fancy Desire, a four-year-old pacing mare who had won the $300,000 Lynch Final on June 28 of last year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono but who had fallen on hard times since, seemed to relish the rain, 48-degree chill and sloppy track offered at The Downs Friday and won the $24,000 distaff pacing feature in 1:52.1.
The daughter of Real Desire, trained by Daniel Renaud for owner Robert Di Nozzi, won only twice more in 2014 after the Lynch and hadn't won at all in 2015 prior to this race, and she sported a 23-race losing streak coming in. But a second-over trip after relatively fast fractions allowed Fancy Desire to rally from fifth, catching Ooh Bad Shark, who had gained the lead mid-stretch in the Pocono Pike, while posting a neck decision.
Fancy Desire gave driver George Napolitano Jr., who also piloted her in the 2014 Lynch Final, his fourth win of five on the night at The Downs at press time.
Mach It So, coming off a dramatic sweeping victory in the Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway last week, will be among the favourites in the $30,000 Open Pace headliner at The Downs Saturday. The winner of $1.09 million, who took his mark of 1:48 locally, will start from post five, with driver Andrew McCarthy listed by trainer Jeff Bamond Jr.
(PHHA / Pocono)