A trio of $20,270 conditioned contests for developing younger horses were the features at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on a sloppy track on Monday, June 16.
The Bettors Delight-Three Times A Lady sophomore filly Three Times Bettor is undefeated in two 2025 races, and has a three-race winning streak stretching back to last season, after easily handling the opposition in the division of the featured class reserved for fillies and mares. Jack Pelling spotted the quick filly, heavily-favoured, third early, then waited through :28.2, :57, and 1:24.3 splits and gave her the signal to go nearing the far turn. Three Times Bettor knew exactly what to do, coming home in :27.1 to complete a 1:52.1 mile, for trainer-father Brett Pelling and owner Thaddeus Wier. She was 5-1/2 lengths the best over place finisher Sweet Odds (Braxten Boyd). Northern Halo (George Napolitano Jr.) finished third. The winner returned $2.20.
Even coming off a Stallion Series victory and having Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter, the International Moni-Desert Pepper colt Golazo was sent off at 6-1 in the first trotting co-feature. The odds-on favourite Themoneyisback S (Jim Oscarsson) made the lead at the quarter and set the pace of :28.1, :58, and 1:26.2, with Golazo coming first-over approaching the final turn then getting a tuck in the pocket. Buter always seems to find himself in the right place lately, mostly through clever design, and when the favourite went off stride on the far turn, Golazo was left clear and won handily in 1:56. Soncando (Napolitano), 3-1/4 lengths back of the winner, held off Kevlar Ccl (Simon Allard) for second.
Jill Roland, also on a roll lately, conditions the three-year-old winner and co-owns him with David Neilson. Golazo has won two straight after going winless in his first eight starts this year. He paid $6.50 to win.
In the other top trot, Durante Hanover was also the beneficiary of a breaker, but he was on the lead after setting fractions of :28.1, :58.3, and 1:28 when the pocket horse broke nearing headstretch, and the miscue and subsequent confusion left him clear to win in 1:58 by 1-3/4 lengths. Cherokee Faith (Boyd) stormed home for place over Mischievous G (Drew Chellis).
Niko Karna had the driving assignment on the son of Walner-Dancing For Money for trainer Noel Daley, co-owner with Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Michael Yardeni, and PCW Racing LLC. The three-year-old is now one-for-three on the season. The win price was $3.60.
As noted, Tyler Buter has been in the right place at the right time for weeks on end now at Pocono. On Monday, Buter got home first four times, giving him 30 local wins for June so far after tallying 52 times at Pocono in May.
Pocono closes out its week on Tuesday, June 17 at 1 p.m., with carryovers into the fifth-race Pick 5. When racing resumes on Saturday, June 21 at 1 p.m., champion filly Miki And Minnie, coming off a victory in the $390,000 Fan Hanover Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park this past Saturday, will make her first Pennsylvania Sire Stakes start of the year in one of two sections of her division’s second preliminary.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)