Trotters were in the spotlight during the Sunday (March 6) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, including two $12,500 divisions of the first prelim round of Game Of Claims Series for $15,000 base-price horses.
Both Game Of Claims Series produced mild upsets as odds-on favourites faltered. The faster section went to the Break The Bank K gelding Sundancediamond, who left from the outermost post and never looked back in 1:57. Team Pantaleano – driver Jim and trainer Christen – had the winner ready in his seasonal debut and won comfortably; the bad news for the new connections here is that the winner was claimed.
The other Game Of Claims section went a tick slower, with the Donato Hanover gelding Mosconi Hanover proving the best for driver Simon Allard and owner-trainer Bryson Dunning. Mosconi Hanover was ready to pull the pocket on the far turn when the leader lost gait due to broken equipment, giving him an advantage that he never surrendered – and the winner’s connections did not have to surrender the horse to a claimant, either.
Upcoming conditioned trotters vied in two $17,000 events. The quicker winner was the Swan For All mare Bountiful Brittney, now two-for-two at the meet after holding off the big late thrust of favored Spunkinsrocketman by half a length in a career-best 1:55.1 under the guidance of Anthony Napolitano. Bountiful Brittney raised her earnings over six figures to $105,857 for trainer John Cabot and owners Howard and Joshua Kauffman.
The Muscle Hill gelding Red Redemption was successful in the other cut of this group in 1:56.4, coming out of the pocket late on the far turn, making the lead, and then withstanding late-clearing Boaster Coaster by the smallest possible margin for driver Simon Allard, trainer Lou Pena, and D Racing Stable Inc. and Yves Sarrazin.
Pocono adds Monday racing at 1:30 p.m. (EST) to its basic schedule with a 15-race card. The action will feature the first preliminary leg of the Game Of Claims Series for pacers with a basic tag of $10,000 and $7,500 – four of the former group, three of the latter. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)