A trio of $15,000 conditioned events were featured on the penultimate card of 2018 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
The first of two trots resulted in an easy victory for the Kadabra gelding Northern Major in 1:57.3. Matt Kakaley moved the winner to the front past a :29 quarter and put up middle splits of :59 and 1:28.1 before storming off by five-and-a-half lengths over Broadway Bruiser closing. Sent the race favourite, Northern Major is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In the other trotting contest, the Triumphant Caviar sophomore gelding QB Kemp rallied from the pocket to record his second-straight victory, this one in 1:57.1. Favoured Bautista went to the top in a :27.4 quarter, rated the middle fractions to :57.1 and 1:27.2 but still could not withstand the rush from the two hole by QB Kemp, driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Rob Harmon and Harmon Racing Stable LLC.
The pacing event for fillies and mares went to Parkin In Heaven, who overtook Dont Mach Mia early to post the rest of the fractions and hold on by a neck to win in 1:55.1. George Napolitano Jr. sat in the bike for trainer-owner Gilbert Garcia-Owen.
Earlier, pacer SB Ideal In Art, driver John Kakaley (Matt’s father), and trainer Jim Ray became the first horse-driver-trainer combination to post two $50+ victories in 2018 at Pocono when they teamed up for a $148.80 shocker in race two. The trio had clicked at a $58.00 price on July 31.
Tempster Hanover is the only other horse to have two $50+ wins at the meet, but he had changed hands between his May 8 and June 26 upsets.
The last card of the 2018 season will take place at The Downs on Saturday, Nov. 17 with the yet-undistributed year-end awards to be given. The world’s fastest trotter and “home track” Breeders Crown winner Homicide Hunter will receive local Trotter of the Year honours. His trainer, Chris Oakes, will also be on hand to see his son Hunter Oakes get the award for posting the colony’s top UTR.
Rene Allard will be feted upon winning his fifth training win title in the last six years while George Napolitano Jr. will sweep the driving dash title and UDR title for the sixth-straight year. Napolitano Jr. has thirteen Pocono dash crowns and 11 UDR championships to his credit, both obviously local records.
(With files from PHHA)