The Cantab Hall colt Believer, finally getting some racing luck, came on in the last quarter to take the $12,500 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday afternoon (Oct. 25).
Third in both the Stallion Series Final and Liberty Bell Stakes recently and last time showing tenacity after being parked the duration, this time Believer got to sit just off a fast pace as heavy favourite Bully Boy was used to clear to the lead past a :27.3 quarter and then rolled on in :56.1 and 1:25. Driver Tom Jackson moved the sophomore outside on the turn and went by the tiring leader, with Seven Iron, the horse who had made Bully Boy work hard early, 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner and two lengths ahead of the pacesetter. Randy Taft trains the 1:55.1 winner for owner Mali Norbye.
The Betterthancheddar sophomore pacing filly Jody, fresh off a success campaign in Ontario’s top Sires Stakes events, was hard-used to get to the front, but once on top, she controlled the race and was victorious in 1:52.3 in an $11,000 pace. Matt Kakaley, who tied with Tyler Buter in leading all drivers on the day with three victories, handled the six-figure earner in 2021 for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
Only two more cards – Tuesday and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. – remain on the 2021 Pocono racing schedule. The Tuesday card is headed by a pair of $17,000 trots for up-and-coming youngsters. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)