If you ever look up the term 'horses for courses' in the dictionary, it’s 1-20 odds that you'll find a picture of Luck Be Withyou racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono as the illustration.
The six-year-old son of Western Ideal was 1-20* in Saturday’s $20,000 pacing feature, and he yet again justified the fans’ faith by going wire-to-wire in 1:49.3, equalling his season’s mark taken last week -- in fact, Luck Be Withyou has recorded his seasonal best here in each of his five years of racing. He has won 15 of 22 times racing at the mountain oval, and his lifetime bankroll over the brick-red surface went over $700,000 with Saturday’s victory, boosted substantially by wins in the Breeders Crown at two and the Franklin Final at four.
Luck Be Withyou was sent straight to the top as usual by George Napolitano Jr., and after making the lead before the withering :25.4 opener, “Luck” had better luck with the fractions, posting middle splits of :54.2 and 1:21.4. A last quarter in :27.4 and patented Napolitano rocking were enough to keep the winner clear of an onrushing Anwar Hanover by a length as he triumphed once more for trainer Chris Oakes and owner John Craig.
In an $18,000 claiming handicap pacing co-feature, the Tell All gelding Tell Us More went wire-to-wire to win in 1:50.3, equalling his lifetime best, and giving him 11 victories in the 2017 season -- that total tying him at the top of all North American racehorses for the season with two others. Both of his co-leaders have a chance to reclaim some part of the lead tomorrow: Private Interview will look to extend his own winning streak to 10 at Rideau Carleton, while Cousin Mary will attempt to make it nine straight, but in a very difficult circumstance -- starting from post eight against Lady Shadow and the fastest females in the $150,000 Betsy Ross Pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Top trot on the Saturday card was a $16,500 contest taken by the four-year-old mare Celebrity Eventsy, a starter in the Breeders Crown Final against Broadway Donna last year, rallying to catch pacesetting Skates N Plates in 1:54.2. The daughter of Manofmanymissions is now two-for-four on the season for driver Christian Lind, trainer/father Staffan Lind, and owners Celebrity Farms.
Simon Allard had four sulky wins on the Saturday card, allowing him to regain second in the local drivers derby ahead of Matt Kakaley, and moving his lifetime total to 2,997 victories.
(PHHA/Pocono)