The favourites got the job done impressively in each of three $35,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old pacing colts during the Sunday (July 11) twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Nancy Takter each accounted for two of three divisions – though they teamed behind only one winner: Wearinmysixshooter, a son of Captaintreacherous and the first foal of Just Like Kate. Wearinmysixshooter won by only a neck, and went in “only” 1:53.2, but the victory showed the importance of fractions – Birthday got away with his own pace of :28.4, :58.2, and 1:26.4, but Wearinmysixshooter could quickly find a supersonic last 1/8 to catch the game pacesetter, coming his own back fractions in :54.3 - :26.1. A winner in a Pennsylvania Sire Stake in his only other purse start, Wearinmysixshooter is owned by Perry Soderberg.
Captaintreacherous is also a part of the pedigree of the other Tetrick winner, the Sweet Lou gelding JMs Finaltreasure, who like the “Captain” has Worldly Treasure as his dam. JMs Finaltreasure was patiently guided to the top after the :27.1 opener, rested to the half in :56.2, resisted a first-over challenge to the 1:24.3 three-quarters, and then paced home in :27.3 to finish in 1:52.1, a new mark. Ron Burke trains the winner for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, along with J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby and Phil Collura. JMs Finaltreasure had previously won a Home Grown division in 1:53.4 with a :25.4 final quarter and then missed a head to Idid It Myway in a Sire Stakes contest.
Nancy Takter’s second "All-Star" was a Sweet Lou colt out of the champion mare Economy Terror and thus a half brother to One Eight Hundred — Market Based. Dexter Dunn allowed the youngster to work to the lead past the :27.2 quarter, hung up middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:25, then hustled the horse home in :27.1 to take a mark of 1:52.1. In his only other purse start (after a pair of 1:55 baby race wins), Market Based had the bad luck of suffering an interference break, but the freshman showed no ill effects and exhibited much talent, downshifting in early stretch impressively in winning here for Chuck Pompey, Ed Gold, and H&M Taylor Stable.
Steve Oldford is on quite a driving roll right now, as the 2013 Amateur Horseman of the Year award winner scored for the second-straight day (after winning an amateur contest at The Meadows) and for the second-straight appearance at Pocono (following a win two weeks ago). The horse Oldford drove at Pocono, Clarion Hall, had won three-straight races at this level, so he was handicapped to post 8. But Oldford patiently let him make his way to the top and then would not surrender the lead in a 1:55.1 victory in the event for American Harness Drivers Club amateurs.
Trainer Susan Marshall, co-owner of the winning trotter with John Marshall, got a quick turnaround profit – they claimed him for $15,000 on Monday, won $4,950 in purse money here, and then saw him claimed away for $15,000 – the fourth-straight race out of which he has been claimed, including two tenures with the Marshalls within.
Monday’s (July 12) features are a pair of $11,700 two-year-old colt paces for horses who were thought just a bit below stakes quality this week – but might not be thought of that way after these races. Program pages for the 12:30 p.m. (EDT) card are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)