Driver Jim Morrill Jr. was victorious in both $15,000 divisions of the fourth and final preliminary of the Bobby Weiss Series for pacing males over a 'good' going Saturday, April 28 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The first division, reduced to four by a scratch, happened to gather all four horses in the Weiss fourth leg Saturday who had previously won in the series. In this contest, Morrill sent the Foreclosure N four-year-old gelding Riggle Wealth to the lead after a :27.1 opener, then managed to back off the pace to a :57.3 half and three quarters in 1:26.3.
Ostro Hanover came first-over moving around the turn, with three-time series winner I Soar Him First behind him, and two-time Weiss winner Heavenly Sound in the pocket. But Riggle Wealth sprinted home in :26.3 to seal the 1:53.1 victory. Heavenly Sound, undefeated in two legs then taking last week off, rallied into the sprint to be a neck away, while Ostro Hanover hung on gamely to miss only three-quarters lengths. I Soar Him First completed the field, beaten only one-and-three-quarter lengths.
Riggle Wealth is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Phillip Collura.
In the other Weiss section, Morrill’s horse, Mach N Cheese sat third-in much of the way while Beach Watch led early, who then yielded to Record Machine in fractions of :27.3, :56.2, and 1:24.1. But the victorious Betterthancheddar gelding got himself back into the race nearing the three quarters, came out in the stretch, and overtook Record Machine by a neck to lower his mark to 1:53.4. Rob Harmon conditions the winner, now victorious in half his lifetime twelve starts, for Save The Day Stable.
In unofficial standings calculated immediately after the races, the top ten pointwinners in the preliminaries, in order, are I Soar Him First, Riggle Wealth, Heavenly Sound, Record Machine, Goose Mountain, Beach Watch, Mach N Cheese, Ostra Hanover, Absolute Intent, and Amerimann.
The top horses declaring in will race for $30,000 in their Weiss Championship during the evening portion of the doubleheader of racing on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday, May 4; if enough horses declare in, there will be a $15,000 consolation event held during the afternoon racing that day.
Top purse of the night was $20,000, as Pocono introduced a $30,000-$40,000 Claiming Handicap Pace to its conditioned sheet. Sevens Hope A, overcoming a rough trip early from the outermost post nine, rallied through passing lane to hold off late-charger Four Card Major by a neck in 1:52.2. The hot team of driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer/owner Gilbert Garcia-Herrera won with the gelded son of Art Major.
(With files from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono)