Two longshot 'bombers,' two favourites, and a mid-range mutuel horse proved victorious in five $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting fillies at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Monday night.
The fastest of the five cuts went to one of the longshots, who upon close pedigree examination maybe shouldn’t have been so lightly-regarded. That would be 28-1 shot Treviso, who made a big move off the first turn to the lead, then came home in :58 to post a 1:56.4 clocking, winning by 2-3/4 lengths for trainer/driver Charlie Norris and owners Klis Brothers Stable and Carrie Norris.
There was black-type gold associated with the winner if you dug deep enough: the daughter of Muscle Massive is the first foal of Valbonela, the daughter of a mare who produced three $100,000 winners – and if you dig a couple of generations further back, you’ll find the name of the very first Breeders Crown winner, Workaholic.
The other longshot victress was one of two Donato Hanover fillies who wound up in the All-Stars winners circle, Wise Hanover, who overcame the outside post seven while winning in 2:01.1 for driver Tom Jackson, trainer Bill “Showbiz” Popfinger, and owner William Mulligan while returning $61.40 to her wise win backers. Jackson handled his filly Wise-ly, going out for the early pocket behind heavy favourite Future Secured, and when that one broke down the backstretch, the winner took over the leader and kept it to the wire, defeating Jodie De Vie by a neck. (We’ll save the story of Donato Hanover’s other winner for last.)
Second-fastest in the mountain oval stakes action Monday was 7-2 proposition Cool Cates, a Yankee Glide filly who had the top at the first quarter and the third quarter, and then retained it to the end of the fourth quarter by three-quarters of a length over Senia Hanover in 1:57. Andrew McCarthy handled sulky duties for owner/trainer Noel Daley.
The Explosive Matter filly Chezatter exploded home in :56 while uncovered in her division, reeling in Stars Edge, who had opened a big lead from the 5/8 to the 7/8, in 1:57.4, 1-3/4 lengths clear at the finish for owner/trainer Trond Smedshammer and the Purple Haze Stables LLC.
The other Donato Hanover winner was Sianna Hanover, the first foal of Simplicity, whose grand-dam was the great race mare and broodmare Winkys Gill. Sianna went to the front past the quarter, then stepped home in :57.3 to prove a nose more photogenic than Fine Tuned Lady (from the hot connection of Corey Callahan and John Butenschoen) in 1:57.3.
Ron Burke trains the winner, who already sported a winning 1:56.2 qualifier at Gaitway, for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Our Horse Cents Stables, and J&T Silva Stables LLC.
Sianna Hanover was kept for last in this report to properly honour driver Yannick Gingras, who won seven consecutive drives on Sunday, his last four at Philly and then his only three Pocono drives, all in stakes, with the last of the Sunday triumphs the 6000th of his career, for which we felt bad in our not mentioning it (although we felt a little – a little -- bit better when we read Yannick wasn’t totally sure he had passed this milestone.)
Gingras then won with his first drive Monday at Pocono, giving him a “straight great eight,” but eventually he proved himself un simple mortel (a mere mortal), though he did have two later winners to give him 20 crossings under the wire first since Sunday. The first nine, in non-purse morning races Saturday at The Meadowlands with seven of them two-year-olds, don’t count as official winners, but we’d be willing to wager that Gingras made a good investment in his future with this early work behind the babies (including six wins for trainer Jimmy Takter –see what we mean?)
The pacing counterparts to tonight’s featured trotters go postward in five sections of an All-Stars event on Tuesday.
(PHHA/Pocono)