If there is a “formula” for success at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, it does not read: “Be last at the quarter, last at the half, and last at the three-quarters.” But nobody showed this “non-formula” to All Bets Off.
The son of Bettors Delight, starting from the outside post eight in the $25,000 featured pace Saturday night at The Downs, got away last and was fourth-over in sloppy going, then circled a top-caliber field within 3/16th of a mile, going three-wide through the turn to the lead mid-stretch and pacing off by two and a quarter lengths, with Matt Kakaley sitting calmly in the bike. Bigtown Hero, who last week won here in 1:48.1 for the fastest mile of the year in North America, raced well again, battling uncovered outside his 5-2 co-choice McArdles Lightning and still going on for second, a length ahead of Melmerby Beach.
All Bets Off was 3-1 despite post eight and a three-week layoff since the Levy Final, having shown an affinity for the local surface by taking his mark of 1:48.3 here at three. He is trained by Ron Burke and is co-owned by Burke Racing Stable along with Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and the Panhellenic Stable Corporation, who saw their talented pacer raise his lifetime bankroll to $1,872,108.
For Kakaley, the featured victory was his third of the night, two of which he guided for Burke; perennial Downs leader George Napolitano Jr. had even a hotter hand, with six trips to Victory Lane.
Pennsylvania All-Stars action for three-year-old state-sired horses will be featured at The Downs for the next three days, with three $30,000 divisions each night. Pacing colts have the spotlight Sunday, with pacing fillies following on Monday and trotting fillies highlighted on Tuesday.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)