Though the FIFA World Cup doesn't begin for 16 more days, the fans at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania have already seen a winning golazo (Spanish for “amazing goal”) – as the trotter named Golazo captured the $48,611 Game Of Claims Trotting Series Final on Tuesday, May 26.
With Tuesday’s first nine winners (and 12 of 14 on the day) on the lead at the half, there was a rush for forward positioning off the gate. Prelim sweeper Pisces Rising (Tyler Buter) tried to overcome the outside post eight with an early expenditure of energy, and he put a head ahead of Abruzzo (Simon Allard) at the :27 quarter. Golazo left but settled behind the cover of the early challenger, then commenced his surge to the front under the handling of George Napolitano Jr., reaching the half in :55.3 and firing on to a 1:23.3 three-quarters.
By the final turn, the torrid pace had reduced the contest to the three betting choices – Golazo, first-over favourite Lmc Wagon Wheel (Matt Kakaley), who had gotten a pocket tuck on the turn after Pisces Rising faded, and Abruzzo, who had backed out to follow Lmc Wagon Wheel and went on uncovered after he ducked in. Golazo showed true grit in the dash to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.3 over Abruzzo. Abruzzo won the photo for second over pylon-shooter Lmc Wagon Wheel.
Golazo, a four-year-old intact son of International Moni-Desert Pepper trained and owned by Jill Roland, finished fourth and second in preliminary action before winning by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:53.2 in last week’s final prelim. He is now nine-for-35 lifetime. The win price was $7.
Braxten Boyd won four of the day’s first seven races and wound up with five victories in all to top the sulky colony. Geronimo Trio It ($2.40) featured in the quintet as he won the undercard feature, the $21,528 conditioned trot. The four-year-old altered son of Manofmanymissions-Zante Trio went right down the road in 1:55.3, winning by by 1-1/4 lengths over Mysterious Frank (George Napolitano Jr.) for meet-leading trainer Per Engblom and owner Tar Heel Racing. Antilles Hanover (James Kennedy) was third. Geronimo Trio It is now four-for-11 on the season, his first since being imported from Italy. Boyd also reported home first with Stonebridge Rex ($3.20), Itza Dangerzone A ($4.80), Run Run Elegant ($5) and Loranga ($6.20). Boyd, the 2025 Dan Patch Rising Star Award winner, is now 136-for-828 on the season.
Anthony Napolitano triumphed three times on the 14-race card, while Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr. visited the winners circle twice each.
Pocono now switches to its early-summer four-card-a-week lineup, with the regular Saturday-Monday-Tuesday 1 p.m. schedule being supplemented by a 5 p.m. card for the next nine Sundays.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)