Two horses were simultaneously sent postward as odds-on promises during preliminary Bobby Weiss Series action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday (April 13), so something had to give.
Turbo Hill, 4-5, forced 3-5 Sports Legend in behind him early and sprinted home in 1:51.2 to capture his second-leg division of the series for pacing males.
Both crowd favourites won their first Weiss series start and both boiled away from the gate. Turbo Hill, starting from post three for trainer-driver Hunter Oakes, took command early, forcing Jim Morrill Jr. and post-five starter Sports Legend to settle for the two-hole approaching the :27 quarter. Turbo Hill got a breather to the half in :56.3 and did not get taxed when increasing the speed to reach three-quarters in 1:24.4. He then really turned on the afterburners with a :26.3 last quarter, leaving his rival one-and-three-quarter lengths in his wake at the wire under high-lining tactics. Turbo Hill has now won six straight and has eight victories in nine career starts for owner Tom Hill.
The other two winners posted their first tallies in the Weiss Series. First came the Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Springbridge Proud, who equaled his mark of 1:54 in his second seasonal start. Anthony Napolitano utilized the Pocono Pike with the pocket-sitting winner, accelerating the three-year-old late to parry the thrust of Major Escape by a length for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership combine of Thestable Springbridge, Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Adriano Sorella.
Anthony Napolitano’s brother George accounted for the other division with first-time Weiss starter American Admiral, coming in off a victory at Yonkers. The American Ideal colt burst out of third on the far turn and gained into a :27.2 last quarter to earn a new speed badge of 1:52.4, three-quarter lengths ahead of Division Bell for trainer Andrew Harris and owners William, Ian, and James Fleming.
The $21,500 fast-class pace saw the Four Starzzz Shark gelding Soho Wallstreet A, trained by Scott Di Domenico for 4 G Racing Stable, survive hard use both early and late to post a neck victory in 1:50.3. The winner of $281,764 was parked between horses in a :26.1 quarter to claim the lead, then just kept on rocking down the road in middle splits of :53.1 and 1:21.3. The early use took some energy out of the winner, but he driver Pat Berry kept him together to bravely hold off Mariner Seelster by a neck with Captain Deo just photoed out in third.
In the opening race of the evening, Hitman Hill, who was third in both the Hempt Final and the Adios Final last year after winning eliminations, went a huge mile in his second start as a four-year-old when stopping the clock in 1:50.1. The American Ideal gelding was used early, moved back out on the far turn, and generated late speed for driver Hunter Oakes to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths for trainer Chris Oakes and the ownership of Tom Hill and Northfork Racing Stable.
Claims continued to rip through the box at Pocono as 13 horses were claimed for $224,750 during the Saturday night card, raising the seasonal total after fourteen cards to 78 claims, resulting in a total cash transfer of $1,349,250.
(with files from PHHA)