Western Graduate, a six-year-old Western Hanover mare, made her initial appearance of the season at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Wednesday night a successful one
.
Driven by George Napolitano Jr. and trained by Lou Pena, Western Graduate captured the $24,000 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares. She stopped the timer in 1:51.4 in doing so.
The victory was the 300th for Napolitano Jr. at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack. Napolitano Jr. swept the Daily Double by winning with Arcadia Bluffs and Long Life earlier on the 14-race card.
Napolitano Jr. is the only driver ever to reach the 300-win plateau at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. He now has achieved that mark four times, in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010. His high water mark is 347 victories at Pocono in 2004.
After Cammi Place (Larry Stalbaum) took the field to the opening quarter in the $24,000 pace, Napolitano Jr. made his patented quarter pole move to the front to become the new leader.
Western Graduate got to the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:23.3. She won by a length and a quarter over Special Sweetheart (Andrew McCarthy) with Cammi Place in the third spot.
This was the ninth win in 33 starts in 2010 for Western Graduate with seasonal earnings approaching the $200,000 mark.
(Pocono Downs)