Premier Desirey powered home with a strong back half while racing uncovered to capture the $24,286 female pacing feature in a career-best effort on Monday, March 10, at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Race favourites Shesnoaprilfool (Tyler Buter) and Kiss My Cheek (Matt Kakaley) set the early fractions of :27.1 and :56.1, respectively, before Anthony Napolitano guided Premier Desirey into contention, challenging Kiss My Cheek before the 1:23.2 three-quarter mark. Kiss My Cheek battled gamely, but Premier Desirey proved too strong, surging to victory in 1:52.1 by three-quarters of a length. Kiss My Cheek held on for second, while Southern Sugar (Brad Irvine) rounded out the top three.
Owned and trained by Harold Herrera, Premier Desirey (Real Desire-Premier Mirage) made an immediate impact after her purchase at three, winning five of her first six starts. However, over the next 47 months, she recorded only two qualifying wins and produced one living foal before returning to the races late last year.
The second preliminary round of the Game of Claims Pacing Series for $25,000 base-tagged horses featured seven $15,190 divisions on Monday, with no repeat winners. Notably, four of the victors had changed hands via claims after the first round, though three of them went unclaimed this time. Among that group was the fastest Game of Claims winner of the night, Perfect Promises, a Tellitlikeitis-Miss Liz gelding, who overcame swift early fractions with a first-over surge to score a career-best 1:51. Braxten Boyd guided the pacer to victory for trainer Geovany Hernandez and owner Josue Garcia.
Two other newly claimed horses made an immediate impact, each winning in 1:52.4 and returning to their new connections in style. Realrubies At Play, a Shadow Play-Rubies Are Real gelding, delivered the only true come-from-behind victory of the day, lowering his lifetime mark for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Kevin Reynolds Jr., and owner William Hartt. Meanwhile, In Rock We Trust, a Rock N Roll Heaven-Sweet Lady Lee gelding, quickly adapted to his new barn, scoring for driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins.
One of Monday’s winners, claimed just last week, changed hands again — Springbridge Duel, a Big Jim-Stonebridge Damsel gelding. Driven by Anthony Napolitano, he scored his second win in three 2025 starts, closing out his brief stay with trainer Cory Stratton and Stratton Stables Inc. in 1:52.2. Another Game of Claims winner to be taken from the claiming box was Blowin Smoke, a Heston Blue Chip-Windemere Maggie gelding, who led every step of a 1:51.4 mile for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Tessa Perrin. Both of these horses went to the ownership of Jose Cervantes.
The other two Game of Claims success stories on Monday were driven by George Napolitano Jr., who had five winners on the day, one more than Matt Kakaley, the only other driver to win a Pocono dash crown since 2009. These two “G-Nap” horses, neither of whom started in the first leg of the series, were Daamericansky, an altered son of American Ideal-Sky Hall who has now won four of his last five starts, stopping the clock in 1:51.4 for trainer Kevin Reynolds Jr. (the day’s only training doubler) and owner Kathleen Napolitano, and Rebellious, a Mach Three-Winbak Pam gelding who recorded his 76th career win, opening the card with a victory in 1:52.4 for trainer Bryson Dunning and P T Stable.
In total, nine horses were claimed on the day for $214,286, bringing the 2025 total to 56 claims for $1,035,000 USD after just eight racing programs — three of which contributed only two claims each.
The spring racing week at Pocono concludes on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. card, featuring no fewer than nine $9,000 USD divisions of the first preliminary leg of the Game of Claims Pacing Series for $10,000 USD base-priced claimers, along with a carryover in the last race High 5 wager.
Racing will resume on Saturday at 1 p.m., highlighted by the $35,000 USD Game of Claims Championship for $25,000 USD base-tagged horses, and the return of Chase H Hanover, who posted a 1:49.4 mile in chilly conditions at Pocono last Saturday, as he competes in the $25,000 USD fast-class feature.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)