Charmed Life boosted her lifetime earnings to $1,445,137 in winning the $17,500 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:53.2 on Sunday, Nov. 4 and she did it in an unusual fashion for the mountain oval – she picked up the entire field from last.
Driver Simon Allard, sulkysitting for brother and Pocono's top trainer Rene, had drawn the outside post seven after a scratch. He was in no hurry with the veteran daughter of Majestic Son until down the backstretch when he made a power move three wide around stalled cover.
Charmed Life had drawn within a length of the battling front duo, leader Crosbys Clam Bake and uncovered Silvermass Volo, by the top of the stretch. She had enough kick in reserve to draw clear by one-and-three-quarter lengths over Crosbys Clam Bake with Silvermass Volo another length back in third behind the winner, who is owned by Allard Racing Inc., Yves Sarrazin, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
There was a trio of $17,000 co-features on the Sunday card and Pocono’s top driver George Napolitano Jr. won both of the paces among the six victorious horses he guided on the evening. Mink Pink, sitting third on the rail entering the final turn, found a hole and Napolitano swung her wide in the distaff pace. The American Ideal filly charged home swiftly to win by three-quarter lengths in 1:52.1 for trainer Chris Oakes and Crawford Farms Racing.
Napolitano also took the division for males from off the pace, and about as far off the pace as you can – last at the half after starting from the rail. But the Bettors Delight gelding Bellows Binge had the necessary late step to catch 25-1 pacesetter Uffizi by a neck while stopping the timer in 1:52.3 for trainer Dirk Simpson and the ownership of Peter Karras and the Dirk Simpson Stable Inc.
Trainer Chris Oakes and driver Anthony Napolitano took the trotting feature while putting a lifetime mark of 1:53.1 on the Chapter Seven filly Eunice. Napolitano and Eunice controlled the pace and the sophomore won by almost seven lengths - her third-straight win for Crawford Farms Racing (another feature doubler), Northfork Racing Stable, and the T L P Stable.
(With files from PHHA)