Two-year-olds saw their first stakes action on the last day of the first half of the year at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as there were three $41,096 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for baby trotting males.
David Miller won his third type of Pennsylvania stake on the day in taking the quickest division, 1:57.1, with Cheers Hanover (pictured above), adding an All-Stars win to his Sire Stakes and Stallion Series victories notched at Philly this afternoon. The successful Bar Hopping – Chez Lucie colt let Elan Hanover go by at the :29 quarter and was content to wait in the pocket through middle fractions of :59.4 and 1:29.1. Miller tipped him down into the Pocono Pike and the freshman found a higher gear quickly, catching the pacesetter in the :28 kicker by a neck, with the first-over Portobarosso AS NL just another neck off in third. The first-time starter is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Jim Simpson, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
Tim Tetrick took full advantage of the wind and the talents of the Greenshoe – Fashion Athena gelding, Fashion Green, to take a new mark of 1:57.2 to open his career with two wins. After a :29.2 opener Tetrick moved the Fashion Farms LLC-owned freshman to the lead, making his move with the prevailing air to reach the top in :58.3. With no backstretch challenger, Tetrick could back off the three-quarters to 1:29.3, then sprint home in :27.4 with the chalk to stave off Meshuggah by a neck. The winner’s trainer, Jim Campbell, is slated to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame in Goshen, NY on Sunday, July 7.
Set The Bar went right out to the lead in a :29 quarter in his division, and then driver Todd Schadel was able to give him a breather to the half in 1:01.1 even with the wind “advantage.” The Bar Hopping – Promisemethis gelding got to the three-quarters in 1:31.1, met the outside challenge of Arrowhead Hanover and the Pocono Pike challenge of The Fix Is In, and powered home in :28.2 to break his maiden in 1:59.3, a head ahead of The Fix Is In and three parts of a length ahead of favored Arrowhead Hanover. Cody Schadel handles the talented colt for his father, the driver, his mother Christine, and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.
In overnight racing, the Always A Virgin gelding Setting Sun laid off a cutthroat pace, then surged to the front late to reduce his mark to 1:51 in a $22,603 claiming handicap pace. George Napolitano Jr. drove the winner for trainer Dean Eckley and owner Ameer Major.
The Pocono racing week closes out with Monday (July 1) and Tuesday (July 2) cards at 1 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono Downs)