C Is For Cookie was the only competitor in the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-olds who won all three of her preliminary races, and on Monday afternoon (May 1) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the daughter of Betting Line racked up the grand slam by impressively winning the divisional final. The time was 1:52.4 over a track which had just been rerated to “sloppy.”
Scott Zeron got C Is For Cookie away second from the rail behind Square Deal, who took the field to the quarter in :27, then moved the willing filly to the lead and put up mid-splits of :55.3 and 1:24. When challengers tried to gain menacing positions nearing the stretch, C Is For Cookie yet again just turned on a higher gear effortlessly, winning by 2-1/2 lengths over 70-1 Caris for trainer Linda Toscano and Birnam Wood Farms.
In the $20,000 Weiss Consolation, the Stay Hungry filly Lodestar remained undefeated after four career starts with a front-end success in 1:54. Lodestar only had one previous start this year, a Weiss prelim win, so she did not qualify for the final, but the filly looked very good here while winning for driver Marcus Miller, trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm.
A pair of Team Melander (trainer Marcus and driver Mattias) three-year-olds who were quite costly purchases as yearlings had mixed fortunes. Mandrill, the $750,000 full sister to Gimpanzee who won her career bow last week, rushed to the lead down the backstretch but then lost gait while on the lead on the far turn. Swanky Hanover, the $700,000 full sister to Manchego, had better luck in her 2023 bow, coming out of the pocket to record a 1:59.3 victory for Jeffrey and Michael Snyder and Bruni Racing Team AB.
George Napolitano Jr. led the driving colony on Monday afternoon with three visits to the winner's circle.
Tomorrow is the final $50,000 Championship, for sophomore trotting fillies, with Kaddari, a Walner miss from the Melander barn who has won both her career starts in the Weiss prelims, getting the extra bonus of starting from the rail.
Pocono will not be conducting live racing on Kentucky Derby Day; it will next feature live racing on Sunday at 6 p.m. and afterwards on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.
(PHHA/Pocono)