In last week’s Winners Over Pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Fifth And Five had to settle for second, a half-length behind world champion Ruthless Hanover. On Saturday, Oct. 31 with fortune smiling slightly more on his side, Fifth And Five had just enough to nose out that foe in a 1:49.1 mile in the $38,194 feature.
This week, Fifth And Five, a four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Filou Fly Fast driven by Johnathan Ahle for trainer Enrico Robinson and owner Pollack Racing LLC, wound up in the pocket, improving on the prior start's three-hole journey. He quarter moved past the :26.3 initial panel then yielded to Ruthless Hanover (George Napolitano Jr.), who then had to go faster fractions (:54.2, 1:21.3) than seven days previously. Fifth And Five took advantage of the more favourable circumstances, with Ruthless Hanover holding tenaciously to the line but eventually succumbing to the winner by the smallest possible margin. Captinhammerhead A (Braxten Boyd), third on Oct. 24, repeated that position on Saturday.
Fifth And Five, who equalled his lifetime mark, increased his career earnings to $644,131. The 2026 Gold Cup and Saucer champion and 2025 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final runner up is now 14-for-48 lifetime. He paid $8.40 to win.
The feature win capped off a training triple on the 12-race card for Robinson. George Napolitano Jr., though denied the win behind Ruthless Hanover in the headliner, also won the conditioned top trot, worth $24,306, with Onemore Volo ($3.20) for Robinson and Pollack Racing LLC. The four-year-old Bar Hopping-Im Volo gelding defeated serial overachiever Jog On Col (Jim Pantaleano) by a nose in 1:53.4, with Green Mel (Ridge Warren) third.
Robinson also won the opener with Pollack Racing LLC's Fearful Intent ($10) with George Napolitano Jr. aboard. The seven-year-old Fear The Dragon-Glorious Intent gelding was three-quarters of a length the best in 1:50.4 over Nob Hill Flash (Anthony Napolitano), followed by Imtheblackflash N (Braxten Boyd). The trainer is now 181-for-943 in a career-best season.
“George Nap” also captured the $25,694 second-level fast-class conditioned pace with Stag Party ($6.40). That 10-year-old son of Bettors Delight-My Lady Day took a new mark of 1:49.1 in the half-length win over Alta Blues N (Anthony Napolitano), with Up The Creek (Braxten Boyd) third. Stag Party utilized the Pocono Pike in succeeding for trainer Dean Eckley and owner William Hartt.
There were also four $12,500 divisions of the first preliminary in the Game Of Claims Pacing Series (GOCPS) for horses base-tagged today at $13,889; that series will have a $24,306 final on closing day, Nov. 21. In the Game Of Claims, George’s brother Anthony was the dominant driving force, winning two divisions, including the quickest split with South Point ($6.80) in 1:51.4 with his own back fractions in :55.2 - :27.2.
“ANap” also took the second-quickest division with Jackie Moon ($5.40), continuing sharp form with a 1:52.2 victory. The other GOCPS winners both went in 1:52.4, and both were taken by horses who dropped down in price to clean up here – Lous Sweetrevenge ($4.40), driven by Braxten Boyd, and Greater Than Aces ($10.20), driven by George Napolitano Jr., the latter the only winner among three horses claimed in the first round.
George Napolitano Jr. reported home first four times, with two each from the barns of Dean Eckley and Robinson. Anthony Napolitano and Braxten Boyd each had a pair of visits to victory lane.
After people set their clocks back an hour the day before, Pocono will be back in business on Monday at 1 p.m., with a $27,500 USD Mares Winners Over Handicap Pace, and two $15,000 USD divisions of the first round of the series named the Winter Is Coming Pop-Up Series, reminding us that Pocono only has nine more cards in its racing season.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)