The Always A Virgin gelding Sweet Talkin Satin, racing for a $10,000 base tag in the Game Of Claims Pacing Series at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, became the only horse in the Game Of Claims’ four levels to win all three of his preliminary legs while succeeding during the Sunday (Feb. 28).
The 11-year-old, with a $629,284 career bankroll, posted a 1:53.2 victory over a "sloppy" going, smashing his field by 10-and-a-quarter lengths.
And if he is to have success in the $20,000 series championship next Sunday, he’ll have to do it for yet another new barn. Sweet Talkin Satin has now been claimed out of all three of those prelim victories.
Big Game Hunter posted his second series win in another division at this level, joining Myidealson N in having two prelim round successes.
The unofficial top nine point winners who appear to have earned their way into their Championship are, in order: Sweet Talkin Satin, Big Game Hunter, My Idealson N, Better B Rolling, Little Admiral, P-Drive Hanover, Canbec Kingkazimir, Bamski, and Love The Action (who didn’t race in leg three after a second and a first earlier, and scraped in by one point); My Alpha Rock N and Spicebomb are the AEs. Horsemen should check with the Pocono Race Office to verify these totals, and to see if anyone is affected by the “no more than two horses for a trainer or owner” rule, especially with horses being claimed.
The fastest clocking of the entire twilight card came in the final prelim for $7,500-priced horses when the Rocknroll Hanover gelding Dontcallmefrancis posted a four-and-three-quarter lengths victory in 1:53 for hot-driving Anthony Napolitano, who tied with Matt Kakaley with three sulky successes on the night. Trainer David Russo and owner Santo Farina still have the horse, as he attracted no claims from anybody in all three prelims, two of which he won.
Dontcallmefrancis was joined in becoming a two-time prelim winner Sunday by the 12-year-old Modern Art gelding R Gauwitz Hanover, a career winner of $478,255. He became the leading point winner while winning his section at this level in 1:55, and will also be changing hands before his $15,000 Championship.
The top nine in the quick unofficial calculations were R Gauwitz Hanover, then a tie between Dontcallmefrancis and Rojan’s Way (an earlier two-time winner), Grits N Gravy and Lucky Levis (tie), Luziana and Needless To Say (tie), and Onlythetuffsurvive and Stick With Cramer (tie). Heez Orl Black N is first “on the bubble”; tied for the second “bubble” spot are Durant and Pop Icon.
Even these lower-tagged horses attracted eight claims for a total $104,000 with a chance at going for “big money.” The claiming totals for the week were 28 horses changing hands for $641,500; for the six-day meet, “series fever” has prompted 125 moves in the claiming box, to the tune of $2,324,375.
Pocono will be hosting its first Monday program of the season at 12:30 p.m. (EST); free program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.
(PHHA/Pocono)