The pacing males had their Game Of Claims Series opportunities early in the meet at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but starting this week pacing mares and trotters will start their series, with the sidewheeling distaffs kicking off on Sunday (March 8).
The Napolitano brothers drove the winners of the two $10,000 divisions of the opening prelim for $10,000 base-price horses, with Anthony guiding the Hypnotic Blue Chip mare Melanies Filly right to the top in progress to a 1:54 victory. But if trainer Daniel Maier and owner Antonia Storer want to see this mare racing for them in the $20,000 Championship event in three weeks, they’ll have to pony up some money–as the winner was haltered for the $12,000 price, with mares going for their standard 20% price allowance. (And the base price goes up a bit each week in the Game Of Claims prelims.)
George Napolitano Jr.'s 1:54.3 winner in the other first-round prelim, the Rockin Image mare Summer Rock, also will not be returning to the connections of trainer Robert Lounsbury and owner Robert Main. In all, four of the mares in the series were claimed, with six claims total on the night, for $70,500.
High-level trotters rounded the Sunday Pocono action in a $17,500 contest, with a four-across-the-wire finish going to Presidente Zette, a son of Muscle Hill, who was just up in 1:54.3 for driver Jim Marohn Jr. and trainer-owner Cozette McAvoy. Presidente Zette won by a head, while a long photo separated the closely-placed noses of Two Am, Volare and Broadway Mojo in that order.
A pair of victorious mares worth noting are the McArdle veteran Lispatty—who won her 2020 debut in 1:52.4 to boost her lifetime bankroll to $918,485—and the Kikikolt distaff Blackwell Ruby IR, who started her career on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean but has kept her winning ways as she is now 5-for-6 this year and 11-for-15 lifetime after also winning on Sunday in 1:52.4.
(PHHA/Pocono)