Parmesan N proved himself the big cheese in the $17,500 fast-class pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 29), using the Pocono Pike from the pocket to get to the lead mid-stretch, then holding off favourite Bettor Memories to his left in 1:51.3.
Parmesan N left strongly, but Mark Witha K took full advantage of the pylon post and forced the early challenger behind, with Bettor Memories third past the :27 quarter and at the :55.4 half. Bettor Memories stayed in third, and the outside flow never really materialized, with these three the major dangers at the 1:23.2 three-quarters.
Anthony Napolitano moved Parmesan N to the inside of the pacesetter and caught him in midstretch, then sustained his speed late to beat the chalk by three-quarters of a length, with Mark Witha K another length back at the wire. Michael Deters trains and co-owns Parmesan N, a Betterthancheddar gelding, with Joel Warner, Lawrence Barnett and John Spindler.
There were a pair of $17,000 events for developing horses, with the pacing division yielding perhaps the most impressive winner of the day in the Indiana shipper BB Lucky Boy, who took a new mark of 1:49.1. Starting for the first time for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Eric Provost, the sophomore gelding may have had an advantage in that he is sired by Luck Be Withyou, who took his seasonal mark from two to six at Pocono and won the Breeders Crown at two and the Franklin at four.
His son took an immediate liking to the Pocono oval, taking over before the :27 quarter and going on to splits of :54.1 and 1:21.2 en route to his fourth victory in his last five starts, five lengths clear at the finish with driver Matt Kakaley.
In the trotting co-feature, the Southwind Frank four-year-old Delayed Hanover moved to the lead past the :27.4 quarter for driver George Napolitano Jr., put up middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25.3, then sprinted on home in :28 to be a length ahead of B A Superhero at the end of the 1:53.3 mile. Fourth in last year’s Hambletonian after winning an elimination, Delayed Hanover now has earnings of $483,428 for trainer Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Melby Gard Inc. and Åke Svanstedt Inc.
Matt Kakaley won four races on Saturday afternoon while George Napolitano Jr. was victorious once, doubling Kakaley’s advantage to 236-230 in the season-long driving derby.
After Saturday, there are only nine cards left in the 2022 Pocono season. There will be racing on Monday and Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), and then the track’s Saturday-Monday-Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. schedule for the two following weeks. Closing day for the year at the mountain oval will be Saturday, Nov. 19.
(PHHA / Pocono)