The American Ideal mare Ghosttothepost became the only distaff to be victorious in all three of the preliminaries for the Bobby Weiss Series for pacing fillies and mares, coming home in :56.2 on a cold Monday with swirling winds at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono to triumph in 1:54.3.
George Napolitano, Jr. got early fractions of :28.3 and :58.1 with the five-time seasonal winner, then turned on the back half jets, with a :28.2 second quarter and then a :28 last quarter into the win. Ghosttothepost, who suffered broken equipment during the contest, needed the speedy finish to keep pocket sitting Cardiff a neck away at the finish for trainer Darren Farrell and owner Peter Paul Venturini.
Ashlee Sparkles came to her third Weiss prelim with a pair of series victories, but this week she couldn’t catch the Sportswriter filly Girls Got Rhythm, who clocked splits of :28.2, :57.2, and 1:25.3, then held off Ashlee Sparkles by a length in 1:54. Girls Got Rhythm was unraced as a freshman, but she has begun her career with three straight victories, including one previous Weiss success, for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nicholas Devita and owner John Cummins.
Charms Little Sis lowered her record by more than four seconds when she won the other Weiss cut in 1:55.2, giving Tyler Buter victories in two of the three series divisions. Charms Lil Sis, a Mach Three mare, also used front-stepping tactics en route to the winner’s circle, opening a big lead down the backstretch and staying three lengths clear at the wire for trainer Scott Blackler and the Millar Farms.
The $30,000 Weiss Championship for this group will be featured next Monday, April 22, with a $15,000 consolation also to be available if enough horses enter.
The unofficial point leaders after this group’s preliminary round action, from highest to lowest points, are: 1. Ghosttothepost, 2. Ashlee Sparkles, 3. Cardiff, 4. Girls Got Rhythm, 5. Final Escape, 6. Charms Lil Sis, 7. Flippin Fun, 8. Linda Lace Hanover and 9. JK Lockherup; Take Abit Of Life and Barbs Beach would be the two AEs “on the bubble,” in that order of preference, and would be the top eligibles for the consolation if it fills.
If you didn’t get your licks in during races 4, 5, and 6, and your driver’s name wasn’t Tyler Buter, Anthony Napolitano, or Simon Allard, you did not have a pass into the Pocono winner’s circle on Monday night: “ANap” and Simon won four races each, Tyler three. Anthony Napolitano combined with trainer Jose Godinez to win the Early Double; Simon Allard hooked up with trainer/brother Rene to sweep the Late Double; and Buter as noted won two Weiss divisions, bringing him to 2998 career sulky successes.
(PHHA / Pocono)