Archibald has stamped himself as the trotter to beat in the Bobby Weiss Series section for diamond-gaited males, taking a new mark of 1:55.1 in his $15,000 third preliminary round on Sunday (April 15) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The four-year-old altered son of Archangel has had to go first-over in all three of his Weiss starts – the first week he made a break while challenging, while during the second he proved his superiority by reducing his mark to 1:55.3. That number was again lowered on a very cool night Sunday, with trainer/driver Fern Paquet Jr. and Archibald sitting outside of pacesetting Law Of Attraction, then overpowering that one the last half of the stretch to win by a length for breeder/owner Michael Sherman Jr. Chas Hanover, one of two double winners in previous Weiss contests, could not go with the cover of the winner the last three-eighths and wound up fourth.
Perfect Chapter AS, who like Archibald made a break while motoring uncovered in his first series start, atoned for last week’s error with a big sweep from the back of the field, winning by four lengths for driver Marcus Miller while reducing his speed standard to 1:56.3. The Chapter Seven four-year-old gelding is trained by Anette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johannson.
The other double Weiss winner in this group, Meadowbranch Ricky, had been able to hold off the late surge of Stormont Manpower last week. On Sunday, Stormont Manpower was a bit closer at headstretch, and he was able to catch the pacesetting “Ricky” by three-quarters of a length while reducing his record to 1:57. Second in his first two series starts, the winning altered son of Kadabra made the third time a charm for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Robert Bresnahan Jr., and owner Robert Bresnahan.
McCarthy, who had four winners on the card, also led the longshot brigade on Sunday, bringing home City Hall first in the 12th race while returning $79.80 as a pocket rocket. Two races earlier, Jim Morrill Jr. had used similar tactics with Drinkin Again, getting the nod to the mutuel tune of $51.40.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)