Perennial local driving leader George Napolitano Jr. accounted for half of the twelve races on the Monday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, including keeping of a pair of impressive pacing distaffs undefeated in Weiss Series competition after their $15,000 second round preliminaries.
Ghosttothepost had a bit of an adventurous journey in her section, but the American Ideal lass came through with flying colors, taking a new mark of 1:53. George Napolitano chose to keep his charge in third as brother Anthony rushed up with Mccoolen before the half, then was able to slip out behind that one as Cardiff, another first-round Weiss winner, posted fractions of :28, :57.1, and 1:24.4. The stretch battle boiled down to the 1-1 Cardiff and the 4-5 Ghosttothepost, with the latter swinging wide off her cover and having the most late to win by 1-3/4 lengths. Darren Ferrell conditions the fast mare for owner Peter Paul Venturini.
Earlier, “George Nap” put the Art Major filly Ashlee Sparkles on top past a :27.4 split, posted middle numbers of :57 and 1:25.3, then withstood the heated late charge of pocket sitting Final Escape by a head in 1:53.4. The winner’s only two starts of 2019 have been Weiss victories for trainer Blake MacIntosh, who is also co-owner with Hutt Racing Stable, Jacqueline Tierney and the Mortgage Boys Stable.
In the third Weiss section, the Sportswriter filly Girls Got Rhythm ran her lifetime record to 2-for-2 as she overcame the outside post eight and a two-move journey to prevail by a half-length over 50-1 shot Flipping Fun in 1:53.1. Unraced at two, Girls Got Rhythm had broken her maiden in her bow, then handled the shift to Weiss action with aplomb for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nicholas Devita and owner John Cummins.
In addition to the six wins for Napolitano, Jim Morrill, Jr. fashioned three victories on the Monday card; in fact, from races three to eleven inclusive there was no admission via sulky to the local winners circle unless your name was “GNap” or Morrill.
(PHHA/Pocono)