Casual Cool was used hard to control the pace, then was able to keep going and held off the lightning late burst of Hemsworth N to win the $19,000 pacing feature on Saturday (Feb. 25) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania and give driver Eric Goodell his first win 17 months.
Casual Cool was involved in a heated :26.4 battle for the lead, letting foes go only to reclaim the top before the :56.2 midpoint. He and driver Goodell passed the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and looked to be in good position, but Hemsworth N — undefeated in three previous U.S. starts and still sixth at the three-quarters — soared four-wide in the lane and furiously chopped into the margin in the 1:52.2 mile, coming up a head shy.
Making his second start of the year, Casual Cool (American Ideal - Sight To See) last won in 1:50 at Pocono on Oct. 22. For driver Goodell, the distance between Victory Lane visits was even longer, as the winner of 5,853 career races did not compete in 2022 and last tallied on Sept. 17, 2021 at The Meadows. The pair showed themselves sharp in the feature, with the Daniel Renaud trainee, owned by Dune Road Stables LLC, boosting his lifetime bankroll to $595,070.
There were also three divisions of a $17,000 event for horses ready to step into the upper levels of class competition. In the section for trotters, Share The Wealth took a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2, clearing early pacesetter Torrone nearing the half then withstanding that rival late by 2-1/4 lengths. The son of Muscle Hill was driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Hunter Oakes and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
There were two divisions of the sub-feature for pacing males. The American Ideal gelding American Classic proved himself a game winner in his cut, travelling first-over for driver Braxten Boyd, yet still persevering to be 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Pocono Piker Something Bettor A in 1:53.2. Mark Silva conditions the winner, who triumphed in his third seasonal start, for owners Daniel and Jean Christophe Plouffe.
In the other pace, Stonebridge Reef, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, got the lead early and loafed to the half in :58, then sprinted home in :54.4 to complete a 1:52.4 package a neck to the good of pocketsitter Phoenix Of Fluzzy. Jim Morrill Jr. drove the winner for trainer Chris Ryder, who is also co-owner along with Craig Henderson, Oompa’s Farm Inc., and Robert Mondillo.
Matt Kakaley, 2022’s winningest driver at Pocono, also has the lead this season after guiding four winners on Saturday; two of them came for trainer Travis Alexander, who’s atop the trainer standings early in the meet.
A division of Saturday’s co-featured class, also racing for $17,000 and restricted to distaffs, will be the feature of Pocono’s Sunday afternoon card, which will begin at 1 p.m. Program pages for all Pocono races will be available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)