Driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander, the early-season leaders at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, kept up their winning ways during the Wednesday qualifiers at the mountain oval, with Kakaley driving three winners for Alexander and three winners for other trainers to give him six triumphs during his early-day work.
The 2021 Messenger Pace winner, American Courage, a son of American Ideal sent out by Kakaley and Alexander for Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC, was the fastest of the early session winners. He put down fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before storming home in :27.2 to complete a 1:53.1 mile, winning his second straight qualifier this year.
The second preliminary rounds of the Game Of Claims Series will be held throughout this coming week’s Saturday, Sunday, Monday schedule. Of the 46 races during the next three cards at Pocono, 22 of them will be full of the claiming pacers. Only one favourite out of 18 was successful during the opening round action, and if patrons are going to sharpen their handicapping this week during the trio of 1 p.m. programs, they’ll have the added factor of evaluating the 38 claims (for $733,750) that the first Game Of Claims week produced.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)