The annual Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace, consisting entirely of grey or roan horses with the exception of the famous all-white horse White Bliss, was the feature of the Monday night card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and everybody went all-out for the $10,000 event in the holiday spirit.
Pocono marketing manager Jennifer “Elvira” Starr was in charge of the festivities, which included a theme-decorated winner's circle, marshal Tia Shafer appropriately costumed, the spookiest between-races music heard north of the Bloomsburg Fair, and Pace contestant JS Mcflash wearing a unique equine “costume” of a white “skeleton” on his grey coat, showing his bone structure.
As for the race itself, favoured White Rolls, wearing an appropriate white shadow roll extension, held off pocket-sitting Gotta Love Him by a neck in 1:53.1, the gelded sophomore by Roll With Joe brought in from Rosecroft by trainer Mike Hall and carrying the lead from the 3/8 pole onward to tally for owner Tammy Crescenze.
Second, but no less loved after the race, was Gotta Love Him, who was competing in his fifth Pocono Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace, having won the 2013 and 2015 editions. Matt Kakaley, who drove him to those wins, worked out a good pocket trip but just came up shy of catching the winner. The local Weitoish family got another good performance out of their pacer in his 187th career start.
Earlier the pari-mutuel goblins struck in consecutive races. Pat Curtin, long-time Chicago mainstay who has come east after Hawthorne’s closing last month, made his first trip to Pocono’s winner circle a memorable one.
He and his charge Kesons Avaia rallied from last late on the backstretch by coming up a clear inner path, then pouring it on in the last 1/16 with the mare to win over Kaylas Dream by a nose and pay $111.40.
Then in the very next race, Todd Schadel sent OMG Hanover to the front and never looked back, coasting home to an open length victory in 1:57.3 and returning $52.80.
The Daily Double with Kesons Avaia, by the way, paid $176.60, and there was little spooky about that – except maybe that it was the third straight Pocono card that driver George Napolitano, Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes had combined to take the curtain raiser. (And tonight Pat was the Curtin-closer, Double-wise.)
Lightning struck thrice in race nine, as John Kakaley made a big sweeping move late in the backstretch and around the far turn to take the lead with Bettor Jus Wing It, then held off Caroline Hanover by three quarters of a length to return $95.00 to his scattered backers.
For John Kakaley and trainer/wife Linda, it was their second venture into bomber territory at Pocono this season; their son, driver Matt (who had won the previous race), has three such scores.
As noted, no Pocono program this year had had three $50+ winners – but one day of racing did! The anomaly came on the only doubleheader card of the year at Pocono, Kentucky Derby Day, where Dolce Ducci paid $90.20 during the “brunch” card, and then Extracurricular returned $61.80 and Yankee Devil $70.80 in the last two races of the nighttime action.
(PHHA/Pocono)