Golden Receiver, for the second consecutive week in the $28,000 Open Handicap Pace at Pocono Downs, was “golden,” with Joe Pavia Jr. in the sulky
.
Assigned the eight hole with the eight-horse field, Pavia Jr. hustled Golden Receiver right to the top followed by Tidewater Tomahawk (Tony Morgan) and Mucho Sleazy (Andrew McCarthy). The opening split was timed in :26.1 before Pavia Jr. applied the brakes and got to the half in :55.4. Pavia Jr. sped things up to the three-quarter pole, getting there in 1:23.4 with Morgan and Tidewater Tomahawk a close second.
But at the end of the mile it was Golden Receiver winning the $28,000 race for the second consecutive week with a light rain falling and the timer reading 1:51.1. Tidewater Tomahawk finished second with Mr Hallowell (Matt Kakaley) third.
Golden Receiver, a five-year-old Village Jove gelding, is trained by Mark Harder and was winning for the fourth time in 14 starts in 2010.
Another late closer, the Mohegan Pace for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, also opened Saturday night with five divisions for the non-winners of $25,000 life or non-winners of three pari-mutuel races through March 15 of this year.
Kakaley won the opening division with Blueridge Fortune in a time of 1:53.1. Ron Burke trains this Real Desire gelding starting for the initial time in 2010.
Lies Lies Lies, a three-year-old No Pan Intended gelding driven by George Napolitano Jr., won the second division with a time of 1:54. Ken Rucker trains this winner.
Hanks Kid, trained by Bill Popfinger and driven by Kakaley, was another divisional winner with a time of 1:53.1 as a 15-1 longshot. Kakaley came up the passing lane to win this race.
Total Shark (1:53.4) and Pike Hanover (1:52.3) also won their respective divisions with Jim Morrill Jr. at the lines.
Napolitano Jr. had five wins through 11 races of the 16-race card.
(With files from Pocono Downs)