Zuma Beach and Perfidious Crown were very close in the betting in the $23,973 distaff feature pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania Monday (March 23) afternoon, with the latter even money against the former’s 6-5. However, it was the Downbytheseaside mare Zuma Beach who got the major share of the purse, and by just as close a margin as emerged in the betting.
Zuma Beach and driver Tyler Buter, who had three wins on the afternoon to stay ahead as he tries to repeat his driving championship here in 2025, left inside her main foe and made the top, then yielded to sit the two-hole behind Perfidious Crown in fractions of :27.4, :56.1, and 1:25.3, on a day with freezing temperatures and a “sloppy +1” racing surface for the features. Perfidious Crown went on strongly to the wire, but Buter moved his charge to the outside for the drive and just got by the pacesetter at the very end of the 1:54.4 mile. Andrew Harris trains the winner and co-owns her with Ray Lasky and Nathan Cockerham.
The only driver to have more successes on the day than Buter was Mark Herschberger, who scored four victories, including capturing both of the subclasses of the card’s female sidewheelers’ focus. In the $21,233 pace for horses just one level below the feature on the classladder, he sent the Always B Miki mare Youllfindout uncovered down the backstretch, and Herschberger did find out that his mare could clear to the lead and then resist a resurgence by Sandyboots Yankee, in that one’s first start of the year, winning by a length in 1:56.1. Nik Drennan conditions the favoured winner for his Drennan Stable LLC, Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, and Daniel Schrock.
The $20,548 distaff contest for fast-class types saw Sheer Artistry N and Herschberger swing wide off cover and get home first in 1:53.2, covering her own back half in :55.1, outstanding considering the conditions. Dandy’s Mercy took early control from the pole and tried to front the field the entire way, but she came up a neck shy; favored Sweet Hayley Jane A was third, another half-length back, after not quite having enough pace up the Pocono Pike after a pocket trip. Ashley Bako trains Sheer Artistry N, a daughter of Art Major, for owner David Kryway.
Trotters on their way up the classladder will contest $15,000 USD in the featured trot during Tuesday’s (March 24) 1 p.m. card at Pocono; bettors will find carryovers awaiting them in the fourth race Pick 3 pool and the fifth race Pick 5 wager.
(PHHA / Pocono)