I Soar Him First became the only competitor to go 3-for-3 in the initial preliminaries of the four events in the Bobby Weiss Series, taking his $15,000 division of the pacing males sector in 1:51.4 Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
George Napolitano, Jr. sent the sophomore So Surreal gelding to the top before the :27.3 quarter, then got a huge breather to the :56.4 half. From there it was “catch me if you can,” and with back numbers of :55 - :27.2, nobody could catch I Soar Him First as he won by three lengths in a personal best of 1:51.4 for owner-trainer Gilbert Garcia Herrera.
Saturday’s other $15,000 third round prelim went to the Foreclosure N four-year-old gelding Riggle Wealth, as he sped to a lifetime mark of 1:50.3. Trapped inside and flying late in the first two weeks, Riggle Wealth and driver Jim Morrill, Jr. left no room for bad luck here, getting away fifth off the gate in a six-horse field, but then motoring to the top after traffic settled, posting splits of :27 and :55.1.
Coming off the second curve, pocket-sitting Otaro Hanover, a winner in his first Weiss start last week and carrying a six-race win streak into the contest, helmet-bumped Morrill and then went off stride in the close quarters, making the job for Riggle Wealth, who himself had a four race winning streak before he came to Pocono, much easier. The winner hit the three-quarter pole in 1:23 and then tacked on the :27.3 kicker en route to the victory for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Phil Collura.
Heavenly Sound, who had also won his first two Weiss prelims in this section, took the week off.
The brothers Napolitano accounted for the $17,500 sub features, for older horses.
In the trot, Sir John F stormed his third panel in :27.4 in moving to the lead, then held off the horse on his back, Majestic Mistress – driven by Anthony Napolitano – by a half-length while taking a new mark of 1:53.1. The son of Donato Hanover was George Nap's fourth winner of the night, and Sir John F completed a double started by I Soar Him First for owner-trainer Gil Garcia Herrera, who co-owns the trotter with Michi Yvette Abday.
“Anthony Nap” visited Victory Lane in the very next race, the sub feature pace, as Chevals Clivesdale, an altered son of The Globe, sat a pocket trip behind $1.6 million winner Dancin Yankee, then gained into a :27.2 last quarter to win by a neck in 1:50.3. Jose Godinez conditions the winner for Blindswitch Racing Stable, Good Friends Racing Stable, and Santo Farina.
George Napolitano, Jr. wound up winning six races on the Saturday Pocono card, three of them for trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, including with the featured "horse" I Soar Him First.
In fact, the track's top four drivers won the first 13 races on Saturday: Anthony Napolitano (1st) won three, Simon Allard (2nd) two, George Nap (now 3rd) the six, and Jim Morrill, Jr. (fourth) two.
The only partycrasher came in the last race, when Austin Siegelman came up the inside with Johnny Q, to the mutuel tune of $54.20.
(PHHA/Pocono)