Driver Scott Zeron's lineup headlined the Wednesday, April 23 qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, including the fastest winner of the morning, along with sophomores trained by Jared Bako.
The quickest clocking came in the very first qualifier and was produced by Zeron and John Darrah's homebred No Tresspassing, a Sweet Lou sophomore gelding and a 1:51.1 winner at two in the Simpson Stakes at Pocono. Here, in his third qualifier of the year, the Deborah Daguet trainee No Tresspassing pounced from the pocket to tally in 1:52.3 by 2-1/4 lengths, closing it out in :27.4, over season-debuting O'Brien Award winner Stonebridge Wizard (Tyler Buter), a Bako pupil who won the Battle Of Waterloo at two for owner David Kryway of Amherstburg, Ont., and is a top 10 pick in TROT Magazine's North America Cup Spring Book.
The Zeron/Bako combination triumphed with the Huntsville filly The Last Martini, who went wire-to-wire in 1:53.2. The fast distaff earned more than $700,000 at two, finishing 1-2 in her two Breeders Crown events and also winning her New York Sire Stakes Championship for owner Glenview Livestock of Ingersoll, Ont.
The Tactical Landing gelding Top Floor Tactics, who only had one start as a two-year-old, was ready to live up to his name, as the three-year-old won from the two-hole in 1:56.2 for Zeron and Bako. That pairing’s third win came with Kryway's maiden Dancin Lou filly Th Cha Cha Cha, a 1:57.4 qualifying winner.
Also impressive were the Papi Rob Hanover gelding Waterfront, a Pennsylvania Stallion Series winner at two and also a 1:53.2 winner on Wednesday for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Hunter Oakes, and the Pace Del Rio gelding Eugenio RL IT, unable to stay on the trot in two previous North American starts but a parked-the-mile 1:55.3 winner here for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of No Tresspassing winning last year at Pocono)