Owner/trainer Antonia Storer swept the twin $17,500 features on Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono – one at each gait, and one with each Napolitano brother, the 1-2 drivers at the track.
On the trot, Anthony Napolitano was driving the Deweycheatumnhowe gelding Optimist Blue Chip, who moved to the lead after a :27.1 quarter and was in charge from there, posting clockings of :56, 1:24.1 and 1:53.1, with the final time a lifetime best. Optimist Blue Chip crossed the wire first by 2-3/4 lengths over Rock Of Cashel, with the favourite raising his career earnings to $213,928.
On the pace, George Napolitano Jr. steered the Delmarvalous gelding Nine Ways to command before a :26.4 quarter, and then the second choice yielded to favoured Always At My Place, who posted mid-race fractions of :54.3 and 1:22.1. “George Nap” steered Nine Ways to the Pocono Pike and was already past the leader when that one broke mid-stretch, with the winner going on to a length victory over a determined Santiago Style. The 1:50.1 final time was just a tick off his own best, set here May 11, and swelled his bankroll to $213,406.
The four-year-old Credit Winner gelding Lindseys Pride, making his first start in over eight months, benefited from a canny drive by Marcus Miller to take the $17,000 trotting co-feature. Buried fourth-in nearing the three-quarters, Miller moved the winner of almost $130,000 as a sophomore to the outside and advanced in a blindswitch on the far turn, then ducked all the way in to the deep Pocono Pike and came flying to catch favourite Don by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3, a lifetime mark. Trainer Erv Miller and his Ervin Miller Stable Inc. shares ownership of the sharp returnee with Harvey Eisman.
Fastest winner of the night was the Mach Three gelding Rebellious, whose 1:49.2 clocking was not only a lifetime best, but only two-fifths of a second off the 2019 local standard. The Mach Three gelding, guided by Tyler Buter, stormed home in :54 in winning by eight lengths for trainer Mike Deters, co-owner of the $197,541 winner with Joel Warner.
Five drivers accounted for the night’s 13 races – George Napolitano Jr. won four times, Marcus Miller three, and Tyler Buter, Eric Carlson, and Anthony Napolitano two each.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)