On a windy, chilly Saturday, March 8 afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Chase H Hanover paced sub-1:50, lowering his own season’s record at the mountain oval from 1:50.2 to 1:49.4 by winning the $35,714 featured fast-class pace. His driver, Anthony Napolitano, was in a hurry all afternoon, winning six times on the card.
“A-Nap” roared away from the gate with the winning Cory Stratton-trained Captaintreacherous gelding, easily overcoming the outside post seven and laying down swift splits of :27, :55.3 and 1:22.2. The victorious millionaire did not let up in the stretch, with pocket-sitting Spring Inhis Step A, the winner in this class last week, able to get no closer than 1-3/4 lengths at the finish for El Dorado Stables and Robert Weinstein, whose pacer has now won three of his last four outings.
Pocono also had its fastest trotting mile of the year on the Saturday card in the form of a 1:54 win from the Bold Eagle mare Golden Rain S, who has now emerged first in four of her five stateside starts. Jason Bartlett drew off impressively in a :28.1 last quarter with Golden Rain S, who took a new mark for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Engblom Stable LLC and Thomas Lind-Holm.
Anthony Napolitano won four of his six races during the final prelim round of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series, racing with a base tag of $30,000 USD this week, with each of six sections going for $24,286. The only horse remaining perfect in the prelims was the Stay Hungry gelding Lyon Surfing, who had the fastest time in the two previous prelims and this week tied for swiftest clocking with a 1:52 score. George Napolitano Jr. drove Lyons Surfing, who was claimed from owner William Hartt and trainer Kevin Reynolds Jr. seven days after they claimed him and seven days before the $35,000 USD championship for this group.
Also stopping the timer at 1:52 was the Art Major gelding Belmont Major A, claimed out of the first leg by trainer Lou Pena and Todd’s Auto and since successful in two straight, here controlling the tempo. This was one of the Game Of Claims wins for “Anthony Nap,” who had none of his winners claimed – though the two series winners he did not handle will be changing barns.
The other horse going to a new barn is the So Surreal gelding Real Surreal, who was second in the first leg and claimed, first in the second leg and claimed, and Saturday first in 1:52.4 and again changing hands. Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Real Surreal was trained by Ron Burke and driven by Jason Bartlett, each of whom won four times during the program, three times in partnership.
Two Anthony Napolitano winners came into the final prelim after being claimed by Marta Piotrow, and both won at first asking for the new stable. The Always B Miki gelding Striking Impact, second in the first two legs, took the day’s opener in 1:53.4 as a pocket rocket for owner Debbie Avery; Avery and David Flederbach co-own the Tellitlikeitis gelding Wattastory, strong on the lead in 1:52.3 for Team A-Nap/Piotrow.
In the other Game Of Claims division, Anthony Napolitano had to come first-over Bullville Frank, an altered son of Roll With Joe, but the horse proved to have too much for the field, winning over Captain Fancy, the only other horse to win his first two prelims. The final time was 1:53 for the Per Engblom trainee, owned by Zippett Racing Stable.
The Pocono horsemen’s competitions couldn’t be tighter. On the driving side: Tyler Buter, 18; George Napolitano Jr., 17; Jason Bartlett and Anthony Napolitano 16 each. Among trainers: Ron Burke, winningest conditioner at the track four of the last five years, is tied in the 2025 stats with eight victories with Peter Pellegrino.
There is preliminary action in the Game Of Claims Pacing Series on Monday’s and Tuesday’s cards, both beginning at 1 p.m. On Monday, March 10, there will seven $12,000 USD divisions of the Game Of Claims for horses base-tagged at $17,500 USD for this second preliminary, with three sections featuring matchups between two first-round winners. And the Game Of Claims Series for horses initially valued at $10,000 USD will be contested on Tuesday, with no fewer than nine $9,000 USD fields in the first prelim of this section of the Game Of Claims.
(With files from The PHHA/Pocono Downs)