George Napolitano Jr., perennially the leading driver at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, steered Meadowbranch Ricky and Chas Hanover to their second straight victories in the Bobby Weiss Series for trotting males on Sunday night (April 8) at the northeast Pennsylvania oval, while Archibald bounced back from a first-round break to take the third $15,000 division in this Weiss division’s second preliminary leg.
Both of the “George Nap”-guided diamond-gaiters remain undefeated in 2018. The Muscle Massive colt Meadowbranch Ricky raised his seasonal record to two-for-two while taking a new mark of 1:56.2 in his division for trainer Jenny Melander and owner Hans Enggren, while the Cantab Hall sophomore gelding Chas Hanover is now unbeaten in three starts for owner/trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, but he had to work hard to down Golden Attitude by a nose at the end of his 1:56.4 victory.
Archibald, who made a good move first-over in the first Weiss leg before losing gait last week, again was saddled with the difficult first-over duty on Sunday. But trainer/driver Fern Paquet Jr. was able to get the victorious Archangel four-year-old gelding to mind his manners this week, and he responded with a lifetime-best 1:55.3 tally, stepping home in :27.4 for owner Michael Sherman Jr.
(PHHA/Pocono)