Twin B Thriller captured the $68,493 Bobby Weiss Series Final for three-year-old pacing males on Saturday, April 25 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, taking a 1:52.1 win over the sloppy track to bounce back after an equipment break in the final preliminary last week.
Ooglesaurus and Twin B Thriller each had two Weiss leg wins heading into the final, with Ooglesaurus off last week while Twin B Thriller had his misfortune. In the championship, Ooglesaurus (Jason Bartlett), starting just inside of his fellow double winner, was the favourite and first to the lead before Twin B Thriller took over in a :27.2 quarter. After clearing his major foe (although not without his usual couple of fumbly steps on the turn), Twin B Thriller kept going right down the road for driver George Napolitano Jr., putting up middle splits of :56.3 and 1:23.4. He kept it together on the second trip around the far bend and paced strongly to the wire for the victory. Rail starter Barrow (Bradley Chisholm) came up the Pocono Pike to get second, three parts of a length behind the winner and two lengths ahead of Ooglesaurus in third.
Twin B Thriller is now three-of-four this year and seven-of-10 lifetime. The Always B Miki-Twin B Captivating gelding went to the barn of Dennis Laterza for the 2026 campaign after an off-season purchase by Ginko Stable Inc. and Latz A Luck Stable. He paid $8.60 to win.
In the $27,397 Weiss consolation, the Bettors Wish-Captiva Island colt Vizcaya ($4) moved to the lead near the quarter and posted identical halves of :56.3 to take a new mark of 1:53.1 handily. Anibal Borjas drove the winner for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Alagna Racing LLC, Joseph Giaramita and Ronald Ostrow.
There were two $37,671 Winners Over Paces on the card. In the division restricted to four- and five-year-olds, the Bettors Wish-Odds On Naples gelding Odds On Wildfire ($3.40) has now won twice in three seasonal starts and is 15-for-32 lifetime after a 1:51.4 win in the muck. The four-year-old was moved twice to the lead by Dexter Dunn, and he stormed home in :55.3 to win unthreatened for trainer-owner Geovany Hernandez. Odds On No Limit (Ridge Warren) was a length back in second, followed by Vengeance Bluechip (George Napolitano Jr.).
In the other section, the Sweet Lou-Pretty Katherine five-year-old gelding Lou Hill ($4) was in against older horses and drew outside, but the author of Pocono’s fastest mile this year of 1:49.2 had no problem with this assignment. He was directed to the front by driver Colin Kelly and didn't look back, winning by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:51 to run his Pocono seasonal record to 6-4-2-0 for trainer Per Engblom, the leading local conditioner, and owner Tom Hill. The gelding is now five-for-eight overall on the year and 18-for-47 lifetime. Backstreet Shadow (Matt Kakaley) took second over South Beach Star (Braxten Boyd).
Another talented “Lou” covered the off track in the quickest time of the day as Lou Grant ($8.40), another altered son of Sweet Lou, impressed in his seasonal bow. He cut the mile from the rail and paced home in :54.3 for a 1:50.2 victory by 3-3/4 lengths. Dave Palone handled the driving of the son of Luvthebeachlife for trainer Rick Hercules and owners Jack Piatt III and Howard Alexander.
Goliath Hanover was parked well past the quarter to get the front, saw two others go to the lead mid-race, then waited and found room up the Pocono Pike to take the victory in a high-level claimer. The five-year-old Betting Line-Gallie Bythe Beach gelding, driven by leading reinsman Tyler Buter and trained Ron Burke, paid $118.20 to win. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Two-time winners among the drivers on the 14-race card were Jason Bartlett, Tyler Buter and George Napolitano Jr. Of the pair of conditioners who won twice, both of Burke’s winners were driven by Buter and both of Enrico Robinson’s were handled by Bartlett.
The $50,000 USD Weiss finals continue on Monday’s and Tuesday’s cards at Pocono, both beginning at 1 p.m. The trotting males will have their championship on Monday, with fillies of both gaits set to match up on Tuesday.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)