Driver Simon Allard, coming to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday night (May 28) one sulky success short of 3,000 for his career, wasted little time getting the milestone triumph, taking the second race at the mountain oval with San Jose Hanover, rallying the pacer from the pocket and giving him a new mark of 1:54.3.
Simon, 35 years old and a native of Quebec now living in nearby Pittston, Pennsylvania, started the weekend with 2,993 wins, but a four-bagger at The Downs last night and a double this afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia put him on the verge of the notable victory, and fittingly he won with a horse owned and trained by his brother Rene. Simon is currently second in the Downs standings behind perennial leader George Napolitano Jr., while Rene is atop the trainer colony.
Later in the card, Simon started on the road to 4,000 when he won with the trotter Love To Glide and pacer OK Icon.
Two $18,000 “non-winners of seven races” events, one at each gait, were the feature races Sunday at Pocono. Jim Marohn Jr., who had six driving victories on the night, teamed with trainer Paul Kelley, he of Obrigado fame, for a double on the card, in the featured trot with Just For Today. The son of Credit Winner used looping tactics to open a big lead on the far turn and go on to an easy 1:55.2 score for the Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, and the Hatfield Stables.
The featured pace went to odds-on Ideal Rocky, a Rocknroll Hanover gelding who was sent straight to the front by driver Anthony Napolitano and then came home in :55.2 to complete a 1:52.1 triumph. Steve Salerno handles the local training of the winner for owners Randy Bendis and Thomas Pollack.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)