Despite temperatures not far above freezing, Federer (pictured above) served up the fastest mile of his career in winning the $27,778 fast-class pace on Saturday, March 28 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Braxten Boyd reserved the winner of four of his last six starts behind quick early numbers of :27.1 and :54.2, then found good cover second-over, springing wide off that cover before the 1:22.1 three quarters. Federer gained through the far turn and grabbed command early in the lane, then kept the one on his back, Borninlockdown GB (Tyler Buter), 1-3/4 lengths behind to the wire in 1:50.3. Cory Stratton trains the winner, a four-year-old gelded son of Captaintreacherous - Sweetest Emotion, for El Dorado Stable.
Driver Brett Beckwith, who won six races here last Saturday, and meet-leading trainer Per Engblom combined their talents to sweep the trotting divisions of the $24,306 class co-featured on the card, with both contests going to mares in 1:55.3.
One fell to Farah Trio IT, a mare by Nad El Sheba (named after the famous racing area in Dubai), whose seventh 2026 victory put her into a nine-way tie atop the North American standings in terms of races won (she is one of two trotters on the list, and four of the nine are female). Farah Trio IT has achieved her win total in just nine seasonal starts, here letting the early dust settle before rushing to the lead and winning by two lengths over Mr Pasadena (Boyd) for Evans Nation, Engblom Farm LLC, and Hickory Hollow Stables.
Goo For Broke was stuck three-deep to the eighth then two-wide until the three-eighths, yet still was able to best DWood, racing in the pocket after himself seeing hard early usage from driver Matt Kakaley, by 1-3/4 lengths in the other spotlight trot. Goo For Broke, by Googoo Gaagaa out of Hs Carry On, has been victorious in three of her last five outings for owner Timothy Betts.
In the sole section of the subfeature for pacers, the Bettors Delight gelding Renaldo N won in his first start of the current year, defending the two-hole early and then coming up the Pocono Pike to catch pacesetter Jackson Cooper (Beckwith), also a returnee to the races, by 1-1/4 lengths in a lifetime best 1:53. The Joshua Graber-owned winner tallied for Team Tritton, the wife-husband combination of driver Lauren and trainer Shane.
Colin Kelly, enjoying an excellent start to his year that sees him among the top dozen North American drivers in both wins and earnings, paraded to Victory Lane four times on the afternoon; Anthony Napolitano had three winners, while joining Beckwith with a double was Simon Allard. Besides Engblom, Deborah Daguet sent out two winning charges.
The Monday, March 30 card features $15,500 USD events for developing horses, one on each gait, with a 1 p.m. first post time.
(with files from PHHA/Pocono)