Golden Receiver made it three straight in the $28,000 Open Handicap Pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Saturday, May 1, but it was One More Yankee “hitting” the home run in Race 3 of the 16-race card
.
Driven by Tony Morgan, One More Yankee turned in the fastest mile of the meet thus far, stopping the timer in 1:49.4 in a race for non-winners of $13,850 in last five starts or 11 extended pari-mutuel races life.
The winning mile for One More Yankee, a four-year-old Yankee Cruiser gelding, is a new life mark. One More Yankee is now two-for-two at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack since coming up from Yonkers.
The track mark for four-year-old pacing gelding is owned by Tivoli Hanover with a time of 1:49.2 set July 12 of 2008 with Morgan also in the bike.
Assigned the eight post, Golden Receiver, trained by Mark Harder, for the second straight week overcame the eight hole to win in 1:51.1 with Jim Morrill Jr. in the sulky. Second went to Wheres Waldo (Joe Pavia Jr.) while finishing third was Mr Hallowell (George Napolitano Jr.).
The Mohegan Pace for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings also highlighted the big Saturday night crowd with the largest crowd of the year on hand for the 5 p.m. special post before the simulcasting of the Kentucky Derby.
Tom Paine, a three-year-old colt trained by Carl Le Cause and driven by Pavia Jr., won the second division of four with a time of 1:51.4, a new life mark. Lies Lies Lies and Pavia Jr. also prevailed in a life's-best 1:51.4. Another divisional winner was North America Cup eligbile Pike Hanover (Morrill Jr.), stopping the timer in 1:53. The Western Ideal colt is assessed at odds of 55-1 in Trot Magazine's 2010 Spring Book. Blueridge Fortune (Matt Kakaley) won the final division in 1:52.2.
Mohegan Pace is a late closer for three-year-old colts and geldings that were non-winners of $25,000 life or non–winners of three pari-mutuel races life through March 15 of this year.
(With files from Pocono Downs)