With Saturday, Nov. 18 being the final racing program of the 2018 season, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono presented the remainder of its year-end honours.
The equine honouree of the evening was Pocono Trotter of the Year Homicide Hunter, who locally won the Breeders Crown and set a world record for one-and-a-quarter miles in a year where he also became the world’s fastest trotter with his 1:48.4 mile at Lexington. Chris Oakes, the horse’s trainer and himself the winningest trainer of the year here three times, was on hand, and also took part in the ceremony honoring his 20-year-old son Hunter Oakes, who took the award for top UTR with a sparkling rating of .556.
Rene Allard won his second-straight training victory title and fifth in the last six years, finishing with 133 victories. Allard’s “handful” of training title ties him for the all-time lead at Pocono with a horseman whom some may have forgotten once had an active stable – George Napolitano Jr. (2001 and 2003-2006).
George Napolitano Jr. of course also had his turn in the spotlight, winning the crowns for driving victories (366) and UDR (.374). George has now been the top driving dash winner at Pocono twelve times, including the last seven consecutive seasons. He won the last race of the year with Feeling Cam Lucky to finish with the second-most victories at Pocono in a year, behind only his own record of 407 in 2015. George’s tenth UDR title at the mountain oval was his fifth in a row.
(With files from PHHA)