The Southwind Frank gelding Whiskey Blu, a $7,000 yearling unraced at two, is now the winningest trotter in North America in 2021 as he recorded his 10th victory of the campaign in one of three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for sophomore trotting colts Saturday afternoon (May 22) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Dan Charlino guided the Ron Burke-trained Whiskey Blu to the lead just past a :27 opener, and soon had slight favourite Type A charging at him, with Type A clearing to the top only as he approached the half in :55.2. Whiskey Blu sat in the pocket to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and into the stretch, where he moved wide and caught the stubborn Type A by a head in 1:53.2 while taking a new mark for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Kitefield Stable.
Whiskey Blu now has 10 wins (including a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division), which also ties him with Giggle Monster for the overall North American lead. In his other two starts he was second, beaten by a nose and a half-length.
Yet another promising trotting sophomore from Team Orange Crush — trainer Julie and driver Andy Miller — recorded a stakes victory in the second split. Their Father Patrick gelding Sunny Crockett grabbed command past a :27.4 opener and posted splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3 in progress to an easy victory in 1:54.2, which reduced his speed record. Sunny Crockett already his eight wins in his still-young career for Willow Oak Ranch and Andy Miller Stable Inc.
In the third cut, the Bar Hopping gelding Mister Boinga continued his improving form while making every pole a winning one in 1:54, also a career mark. Despite post 7, Mister Boinga got to the top for driver Jason Bartlett and laid fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:25.2 before heading to his second win in his last three starts for trainer Jill Roland and owner Bernard O’Brien.
A pair of $15,700 contests were carded for the fast-class older set. On the trot, the Muscles Yankee mare No Mas Drama is now four-for-five in 2021 after she overcame a hard two-move trip to get a 1:52.2 lifetime record for driver Brian Sears (who led all drivers with three wins on the card), trainer Michael Russo, and Ginnis Stables LLC. On the pace, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Points North captured his second-straight win over the mountain oval, taking the lead after a very contentious early battle and going on to tie his lifetime mark of 1:49.3 for driver James MacDonald, trainer Carmen Auciello, and owners Aaron Waxman and Frank Cirillo.
James’s brother Mark came along a couple of races later and claimed the fastest clocking of the day with the So Surreal gelding Splash Brother, who enjoyed the relief from Graduate Series competition and smoked a 1:49.2 mile. Trainer Ray Schnittker co-owns the talented four-year-old with Nolamaura Racing LLC, Steven Arnold, and Tammy Flannery.
Sunday’s 5:00 p.m. (EDT) card will feature fast pacing distaffs in a $19,300 contest. Program pages will be available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)