Dominion Day and Wish List won the $21,127 featured trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon, Nov. 18 – one in a three-horse photo and the other an open-length romp.
Dominion Day (pictured above) was the one who out-photoed two other foes and the Greenshoe sophomore gelding also had the faster of the clockings, taking a new mark of 1:54.2. Going Green and Pisces Rising each took a turn on the lead during fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25.3 (the last split against the wind), while Dominion Day was third-over behind sputtering cover and having to go wide in the lane. Pisces Rising went to the Pocono Pike to challenge pacesetting Going Green, with Dominion Day not reaching those two until very late – just about when Going Green went offstride, some 100 feet from the finish.
Dominion Day, who was driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Eric Irving and Elite Harness Racing, flashed by to take dominion over his rivals by a head, with Going Green galloping across the line, finishing in turn a head ahead over Pisces Rising, but then being placed a spot for the lapped-on break.
In contrast, driver Ridge Warren had a calm time of it with the Bar Hopping three-year-old miss Wish List, sitting most of the way behind Loranga during fractions of :28.3, :57.2 and 1:26, then passing that one in the stretch en route to a 2-1/2-length win while equalling her career best of 1:55.3. Trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. co-owns the filly with Christine Baggitt.
The day went off to a quick start when the Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, in only his third start for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owners Mark Jakubik and Jason Darling, fronted a third-from-bottom conditioned field in 1:49. Virgo went out in :26.2 and :55.3, then went another third quarter of :26.2 under Simon Allard’s direction to freeze the timer at 1:22 early on the far turn, then backed that up with a :27 kicker that kept him 1-3/4 lengths clear of Building Boost, a close second choice to the winning favourite, to the finish.
Five drivers had doubles on the card: Simon Allard, Braxten Boyd, Tyler Buter, Matt Kakaley and Anthony Napolitano.
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. program features three $15,000 USD features – one for trotters and one for each sex of pacers – plus carryovers into the fourth race Pick 4 and the last race Hi 5. After that on Saturday will be the closing card of the 2024 Pocono season, also at 1 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono Downs)