The combination of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Mike Spaccarelli Jr. have been atop their respective standings since about the start of the 2022 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, many of their wins coming with overnight stock. At qualifiers on Wednesday morning (April 20) at Pocono, they teamed with three horses owned by Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC to show there are some very nice younger horses in the barn as well.
The 2021 Messenger winner, American Courage, won a second qualifier at Pocono, and the final time of 1:52.4 with a :27.3 final quarter for the son of American Ideal should be regarded as no less impressive than the 1:52.2 clocking with :27 last split he turned in last week, for it was 70 degrees then, and 44 degrees in the mountains this morning.
The Captaintreacherous sophomore gelding Layton Hanover, out of a three-quarter sister to I Luv The Nitelife, was purchased by Fiddler’s Creek in partnership with D’Elegance Stable IX, T L P Stable, and Carmen Iannacone at the end of March, and he looked like a good investment after riding the pocket then coming home in :28.2 to freeze the timer in 1:54.3.
The Downbytheseaside colt Double Double, whose third dam produced champion Caviart Ally, posted a victory in his second charted line, going wire-to-wire and winning by a neck in 1:56.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., with the $50,000 Bobby Weiss Championship for sophomore trotting colts the headliner, along with their pacing counterparts in their final Weiss prelim. Program pages for Saturday are now available on the PHHA website.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono Downs)