The Cash Hall gelding Chin Chin Hall, a winner of two of his last three starts in Open company at The Meadowlands, brought his sharp form with him to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday (Oct. 2), winning the $24,000 featured trot in 1:54.2.
Chin Chin Hall, the second choice, was hustled away by driver Tyler Buter (who topped all drivers on the day with four victories), making the top before the 26.4 opener, then stringing out favoured Crystal Fashion until yielding to the double millionaire at the three-eighths. That one had immediate pressure from Morairtime, who was looped out of the gate and found no hole, and they battled through middle fractions of :55.1 and 1:24.1, with Chin Chin Hall in the pocket off the fireworks. The winner found room along the inside in the stretch and posted a half-length triumph over Warrior One, who rallied up the far inside after being shuffled to last during the front-end fight.
Chin Chin Hall won for the eighth time this season, pushing his earnings to $113,901 this campaign and $680,668 lifetime. Nifty Norman trains the tough five-year-old for Oldford Racing LLC and David McDuffee.
The $17,500 co-featured trot went even faster as Gangster Hanover, a son of Father Patrick, dominated on the front end, stepping home in :55.1 as the heavy favourite to win by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:53.1. George Napolitano Jr. guided the winner of $339,688 for trainer Åke Svanstedt, also co-owner with S R F Stable and Brittany Farms.
Owner Eric Prevost had lost the sharp pacer The Candyman Can for a Pocono claiming record $50,000 last week; he has him back now after going right back in to take him for the same pricetag out of a race in which he finished second, caught by last-to-first Indigo Art in a 1:51.4 mile. Then, for good measure, Prevost went to the other division of the $18,000 handicap pacing feature and paid $50,000 for Stellar BB, who has won four of seven after taking this race in a sharp 1:50.3.
For the second week in a row in the $11,000 American Harness Drivers Club amateur series event, driver Tony Beltrami came out of the pocket with the veteran Wilberforce to take down top honours, here in 1:57.2 after a hot pace. The Caviar Crown gelding is owned by Dale Wareham in partnership with trainer Kris Rickert; Beltrami has now taken six of his last 17 starts in amateur competition.
There is no Pocono card Sunday, as the track will race the last month of its 2021 season with 12:30 starts on Saturdays, Mondays, and Tuesdays until closing night of Saturday, October 30. Program pages for the upcoming Monday and Tuesday cards are available on the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)