Trainer/driver Charlie Norris opened Wednesday morning’s 13-race two-year-old qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania with a double, guiding the fastest colt on both the trot and the pace for the day.
The Downbytheseaside-Fashion Majorette colt Fabio Hanover, making his career debut, was moved by Norris to the lead past the quarter and proceeded on to the fastest mile of the day’s freshman action, 1:55, stepping home in :28.1, for the ownership of Carrie Norris, Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Bradley Berlin and Jerald Barris.
Also worthy of note among the baby pacing males is the double posted by trainer Hunter Oakes with Thirsty Thursday and Waterfront, both winners in 1:55.4.
Norris’s fastest colt trotter of the day was another horse making his bow, the International Moni-Dew It Justice colt The Fix Is In, who stopped the timer in 1:59.3 after an engine jaunt with a last half in :59. Carrie Norris also shares ownership of this winner, along with Max J. Hempt.
Additionally, the male trotters yielded a two-time winner in the Cody Schadel-trained gelding Set The Bar (Todd Schadel), successful in 1:59.4.
The fastest trotter of the day, though, was a filly, the Greenshoe-Frisky Magic miss Princess Jackie, who now shows two successful baby lines, this one in 1:58.1. D. R. Ackerman drove, trains and owns the pocket rocket, who came her own back splits in :57.3 and :28.1.
The other division of the filly trot gave Cody and Todd Schadel two-year-old trotters of both sexes with two wins when Shalamar Hanover won in 2:03.2.
Among the pacing fillies, Todd Schadel picked up another win via a catch-drive, piloting the Huntsville-Shanghai Lil miss Martini Star to a 1:57 win, stepping home on the engine sharply in :57.2 and :28.2 for trainer Mark Ford and All Star Racing Inc. The side-wheeling fillies also had a double winner in Calamity Hour (Tyler Buter), who won Tuesday in 1:58 for trainer Deborah Daguet.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)