Meadowlands Racetrack ship-in Harbor Point made his Pocono Downs debut a winning one with a perfect pocket steer from driver Ron Pierce in the $25,000 Preferred Trot on Saturday evening.
Harbor Point and Pierce grabbed the lead early from post two as insider Photo King (Mike Simons) broke stride and posted a :27.3 opening panel. But Harbor Point eventually gave way at the three-eighths mark to the popular Uncle Peter (Jimmy Takter), who drove on from post five to claim the leading role after missing by a neck in his season’s debut in last week’s Preferred. Harbor Point played ‘follow-the-leader’ through middle splits of :55.4 and 1:24.3 before out-sprinting Uncle Peter in the stretch. Kicking home in :28.1, Harbor Point got up late to prevail by one length in 1:53 flat, shaving a full second of his lifetime mark set last week at the Big M. Uncle Peter stayed for second while Opening Night (Tyler Buter) rallied off cover to show.
Harbor Point, a close runner-up in the Meadowlands’ Horse & Groom Series Final in mid-March, paid $6.60 to win as the 2-1 second choice in the field of nine.
With tonight's victory and three consecutive wins at Harrah's Philadelphia at the end of his sophomore campaign, Harbor Point remains undefeated on a five-eighths mile track.
The four-year-old son of Yankee Glide is trained by Ryan Maxwell for owner Martin Scharf of Lawrence, New York. Harbor Point has hit the board in 21 of his 31 starts (11 wins) to bank $143,390 in purses lifetime.
Later on the card, the Ann DiPietro-owned and trained Twincreeks Jesse and George Napolitano Jr. edged out Deep Sea Hanover (Pierce) by a neck in the $30,000 Bobby Weiss Series Final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings that are non-winners of three races or $50,000 lifetime as of Jan. 1. The time of the mile was 1:51.4 and the win payout for the second wagering choice $5.80.
Pierce drove five winners on the 14-race card, including three of trainer Rene Allard's four winners.