The veteran Conway Hall gelding Dayson overcame a first-over journey, defeating Joey Bats by a half length in 1:54.3 to take the $17,500 featured trot Sunday night (Oct. 27) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Matt Kakaley kept the career winner of $1,118,127 midpack as Sylvesteramerica It and then Hill Of A Horse took command from the breaking leader The Lionking As near the quarter. Kakaley then midrace moved Dayson to the outside to begin his grind forward. The nine-time seasonal winner never faltered, going to the lead in the stretch and then withstanding second-over Joey Bats for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Larry Karr.
A trio of $17,000 events for developing younger horses served as subfeatures. In the one trotting division, the Chapter Seven sophomore colt Refi also found the first-out route the path to glory, catching pacesetter Always A Dream by half a length in 1:55. Tom Jackson drove the recent addition to the Ray Schnittker barn for the partnership of Greenhorse and Robert Rudolph.
The two pacing co-features were split by sex. The event for fillies and mares saw the Bettors Delight mare Persistent Bettor save ground most of the way for driver Anthony Napolitano, then slide wide at headstretch and rally to outfinish favored Demi Hill by three-quarter lengths in 1:52. Trainer John Hallett, who has done very nicely on the local scene since coming over from Tioga Downs, conditions the winner for Geoffrey and Rick Howles.
In the co-feature section for pacing males, the American Ideal gelding JK Musicman looked like his closing kick might come too late to catch Rebel Rouser, who had used the Pocono Pike to grab a midstretch advantage, but driver Eric Carlson hustled the Musicman home to a 1:50.4 victory by three-quarter lengths. Gilbert Garcia-Herrera trains the winner of $111,266 for his son Gilbert Garcia-Owen.
(PHHA/Pocono)