The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted three $15,000 divisions for the opening preliminary of the Bobby Weiss Series for pacing males on Saturday night, April 6.
The Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Division Bell, who broke his maiden for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, took the first Weiss split. Driver Jim Morrill Jr. sent Division Bell to the lead in front of the stands, then kept the youngster rolling home to finish one-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of R U Talkin at the finish while also setting a mark of 1:52.3.
Sports Legend, an Ontario Gold finalist at two and three despite only notching one victory in his initial two campaigns, is making up for lost time in 2019, as the Sportswriter gelding won his third race from four starts with a half-length success in 1:52.3 over hard-charging Under Paid. Jim Morrill Jr. drove the winner for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and owner Gestion J Y Blais Inc.
Turbo Hill, a four-year-old son of American Ideal, won his fifth-straight race and is now seven-for-eight lifetime with his 1:54.2 final clocking, sufficient to hold off Dakota Ole by one-and-quarter lengths. A winner in 1:51.1 here earlier in the meet, Turbo Hill was driven and is trained by Hunter Oakes for owner Tom Hill.
Gillys Boy remains undefeated this season from three starts and also posted the fastest mile of the young season so far at the mountain oval with a 1:50.3 win in the $21,500 fast-class pacing feature. The Cams Card Shark gelding, who also took a lifetime mark, left alertly, yielded to favourite Stars Align A as that one cut fractions of :26.3, :55.1, and 1:22.1, then came out for the drive and passed the chalk by a half-length under the guidance of Anthony Napolitano, who had four visits to the winner's circle. Ron Burke conditions the career-sharp pacer for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
And then 38 minutes later, the Bettors Delight gelding Havefaithinme N lowered the Pocono seasonal best another tick, moving to the lead after a :26.4 opener, posting middle splits of :54 and 1:21.4, then staying strong to the finish to give driver Jim Morrill Jr. a third win on the night. Trained by Jose Godinez for Blindswitch Racing Stable, Gary Axelrod, Good Friends Racing Stable and Santo Farina, Havefaithinme N was of course a star Down Under, winning the 2016 Miracle Mile in 1:47.2, at the time the fastest Australasian mile race ever, and recorded most of his $1,182,169 bankroll in the Southern Hemisphere.
Once again the claiming box was a Saturday night beehive of activity at Pocono as seasonal records were set in amount of horses claimed (17) and amount changing hands for horseflesh ($328,750). Ten days into the meet (with most of the claimers written on Saturdays), there have been 62 horses going back to different barns after their races, with the money tally now over seven figures for the meet at $1,094,500.
FINISHING LINES – The Pocono horsemen’s community was saddened to learn that Syl DeCample Jr. passed away recently at age 76. Only three horsemen (George Napolitano Jr., Bill Lambertus, and Bill Mullin) have won more horsemen’s crowns locally than did the colorful DeCample, who was the best in driving victories three straight years (1977 through 1979), and then won both the UDR title and the training wins title in 1992 – with Syl’s son Syl III succeeding his father in the trainers’ category the next year.
(with files from PHHA)