The tri-features on Sunday evening (May 12) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania were $20,548 paces for high-priced claiming horses. Despite the hefty investment, two of the three winners were claimed – but it was the one who wasn’t who took the fastest division.
The Thinking Out Loud gelding, Wise Thinking, put in a late move reminiscent of his father’s North America Cup win to take the very first race on the card in 1:51.3 to equal his lifetime best. Tyler Buter handled the driving assignment for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and Ely Stable.
The other two top claiming winners, Tuxedo Bay (Marcus Miller, 1:52.3) and Winbak Willy T (George Napolitano Jr., 1:53.2) were both coming off of victories, and both found themselves in new barns after their wins on the card, with $27,397 given for each horse to change hands.
Sky Diver also notched his second straight win, in a $19,178 trot, but when he changed hands as a yearling, it took a bid of $350,000 to take home the Muscle Hill-Ariana G colt. The sophomore won here in 1:56, with back fractions of :56.2 and :28, while winning for the brother team of driver Mattias and trainer Marcus Melander, with the developing youngster owned by Brixton Medical Inc. Marvin Katz and Hatfield Stables.
Matt Kakaley guided three horses home first to lead all drivers on the night and solidify his position atop the local driver's colony.
Pocono will be racing on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with the cards starting on each day at 1 p.m. Monday’s program has a double carryover of $2,066.55 on the Pick-5 wager, which begins in race five.
(PHHA / Pocono)