Classic Belisima was the easiest of winners in the $30,000 Bobby Weiss Series championship for trotting females Wednesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, guided by Hall of Famer David Miller to her fifth straight triumph, this one in 1:54.1.
Hopes for a showdown between Classic Belisima, who had won all three of her Weiss preliminary starts, and Dress For Success, who had won in all four weeks of the prelims, lasted only a few feet after the start of the race, as Dress For Success made a break, taking her out of the race. Miller handled the victorious daughter of Crazed with patience, going up towards the lead past the :27.4 opening quarter, taking command in front of the stands, and then posting splits of :57 and 1:25.2 en route to a four and three-quarter length victory over Passing Jetta, with Never Ever Clever third. Dress For Success could never repair her early mistake and was last in the field of seven.
Classic Belisima has now been victorious nine times in 11 seasonal starts. The Weiss Championship triumph pushed the John Cabot-trained mare’s lifetime bankroll to $113,055 for owner William Cantrell.
Another winning streak continued in a $25,000 Mares Handicap Pace, as Show Runner is now six-for-six in 2015 after a 1:52.3 victory over Ooh Bad Shark, with 2014 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old champion Sayitall BB third after closing from the back. Show Runner is acquiring the nickname “Picket Fence,” as her last five wins show nothing but “1”s all the way across the line, including tonight’s triumph, where she came home in :55 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Lou Pena and owner A Piece Of The Action LLC.
He’s better than The Six Million Dollar Man, because his lifetime bankroll now stands at $6,947,775, making him the richest racing harness horse of all time. And The Six-Plus Million Dollar Horse, Foiled Again, will return to the scene of his 2013 Breeders Crown triumph on Saturday at The Downs, heading a field of six in a $25,000 Winners Over Pace. Last time Foiled Again raced locally, the Franklin Final last year, he finished third, beaten only a length and a half, in Sweet Lou’s 1:47 victory – the fastest time ever over a five-eighths-mile track. Matt Kakaley has been tapped for Saturday sulky duty as Foiled Again’s saddle pad will match his lifetime bankroll status – #1.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)