The perennial leading driver at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, George Napolitano Jr., won his third of the early-season Game Of Claims’ five Championships—and owner William Emmons Jr. his second—when they combined behind the Explosive Matter gelding Explosive Magic for a 1:56.2 victory in the $30,000 Game Of Claims Trotting Series Championship for $15,000-base-price horses on Monday (March 29).
Emmons and trainer Eric Ell claimed the winner of three out of his last four races from the series’ second preliminary, and then had him sit out the final prelim, hoping his first and second in the initial two legs would get him into the final without risking a claim. The 1-2 finishes did advance him sufficiently–he was eighth in points of the top nine entrants. Explosive Magic showed no ill effects from the week off, sitting behind favoured Golden Son through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:27, then charging home in the lane for a one-and-a-half length victory over the chalk.
Emmons is also the owner of Glengarry Knight N, winner of his $50,000 Game Of Claims Championship, and currently third among all North American pacers in 2021 earnings.
Two horses eligible to April’s $700,000 Bobby Weiss Series, which features developing sophomores in four divisions divided by sex and gait, scored impressive wins on the undercard. The Always B Miki pacing colt Stellar Yankee won in his first start for trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera and owner Gilbert Garcia-Owen, taking a mark of 1:55.2 with George Napolitano Jr. driving. Stellar Yankee was entered right back to be in his group’s first preliminary this Saturday. The Art Major pacing colt Major Bean, coming off a 25-day layoff while debuting for trainer Scott Di Domenico, did not enter Saturday, but his 1:54.2 win here for driver Matt Kakaley and the ownership of Triple D Stables Inc. and Richard and Farrell Carey hints he may be a factor later in the series.
(PHHA/Pocono)