On probably the last day the temperature will reach 80 degrees at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania for the next six months, Pressure Cooker (1:50) and Staying With Emily (1:50.2) won divisions of the $111,111 Hardie Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, while the two-year-old pacing gelding Dandy Ideal equalled the local standard for his division, 1:50.3.
The Heston Blue Chip filly Pressure Cooker was away on the boil for driver George Napolitano Jr., getting to the quarter in :26.2, getting a breather to the half in :55.1, then rattling off successive :27.2 splits to be three lengths clear at the finish while taking a new mark. The winner of three of her last four, all in stakes company throughout Pennsylvania (PA Stallion Series final at Philly, a Keystone Stakes at Meadows, and now a Simpson Stakes here), Pressure Cooker is trained by Linda Toscano for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing and Mac Nichol.
The Stay Hungry filly Staying With Emily made her way forward after hotly contested numbers of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:22.2 in her Simpson division, then held off the horse on her back, Parkavenuelisa (denying trainer Toscano a stakes double), with a neck success. Tyler Buter handled driving duties for trainer Ron Burke and owner Brad Grant.
Not only did the freshman American Ideal gelding Dandy Ideal defeat older rivals on Tuesday afternoon, but driver Braxten Boyd had to use the baby three times, yet he still responded late to equal the Pocono sectional mark of Yankee Bounty (2014) and also become the current listee on the track record table achieving his place latest in the year. Jenny Melander conditions the precocious baby for Exceed Stables.
In further testimony to the day’s speedy conditions, eight trotters went in 1:55 or less in overnight races.
Matt Kakaley had four winners on the day while Tyler Buter and George Napolitano Jr. had three.
Simpson Stakes action continues when Pocono next races live on Saturday at 1 p.m., with more than $237,000 USD in purses marked for three divisions of freshman trotting fillies and four of sophomore pacing males. And, of course, racing fans can watch and wager on this weekend’s Breeders Crown Championships on Friday and Saturday evenings.
(PHHA / Pocono)