The return of the fast-class pacer Hickfromfrenchlick, plus sharp outings from trainer Casie Coleman Herlihy's three-year-olds, were the highlights on a Wednesday morning (May 5) qualifying session at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono conducted over a “sloppy +1” oval.
Hickfromfrenchlick, a son of So Surreal named after the NBA all-timer Larry Bird, was a good two-year-old who went on to win over half a million dollars at three, taking his mark of 1:48.4 in the Empire Breeders Classic final. He qualified three times at age four, twice at Goshen and then posting a 1:49.4 qualifier win at The Meadowlands. But he had been absent from the racetrack between that outing on June 5 of last year and today, when he went down the road in 1:51.2 for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker, who co-owns with Nolamaura Racing LLC and Thomas Spatorico.
Coleman Herlihy employed Matt Kakaley to drive her successful sophomores. One was Linedrive Hanover, a Betting Line gelding who impressed last year when on July 4 he won a qualifier in 1:53.2 at Woodbine Mohawk, with back fractions of :53.4, :26.3. But he only made one purse start, where he made a break, before being stopped for the year. He won Wednesday in 1:54.4, back half :55.4, for West Wins Stable, McKinlay & Fielding, J. L. Benson Stables Inc., and Mac Nichol.
The trainer/driver combo also won with the Captaintreacherous gelding Captainofrocknroll, a 1:53.1 winner at two who won Wednesday in 1:55.3 (:55.4, :27.3) for owner Robert Hamather. Coleman Herlihy also sent out with Kakaley Dean B Hanover, a Betting Line gelding who won in 1:52.1 at two, and who was beaten only one-and-a-half lengths and thus race-timed in 1:52 behind Hickfromfrenchlick.
(PHHA / Pocono)