Tyler Buter had a first-rate day in the sulky on Saturday afternoon, July 13 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, coming back to the winner's circle six times during the 13-race program. Among his half dozen victories, he drove winners in two of the three trotting features and the top pace.
Both of Buter’s diagonally-gaited feature winners posted a 1:54.3 time in their victories, and both are trained by Jeff Cullipher for owners Pollack Racing LLC (who had a third successful collaboration on the card with George Napolitano Jr. driving Its In The Stars). The Chapter Seven gelding Seven Sins (pictured above) took a new mark in reporting home first after coming up the Pocono Pike, while Tactical Lori took a split for females with the Tactical Landing sophomore showing just enough after going the first-over trip.
The third trot feature went to the Cantab Hall colt Blackhawk Zette, scoring for the seventh time this year and overcoming 35 days away while taking the fastest feature sector, 1:54.1, for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Bob Baggitt Jr., and J L Sadowsky LLC.
The Always B Miki gelding Grand Cayman was allowed to go off at 16-1 in the $22,603 fast-class pace upon shipping in from Philly, and Buter placed the veteran perfectly behind favoured Boiling Oar, then got him by the chalk in the shadow of the wire for trainer Crissy Crissman-Bier and owner Vincent Ferriero Jr.
Grand Cayman covered the mile in 1:49.1, just two-fifths of a second off the Pocono seasonal record and a popular clocking on the day, as four horses won precisely in that time, including the Betting Line gelding Imaginary Line in the $22,603 high-price claiming handicap feature. Now a winner of six straight races, Imaginary Line and Buter followed pacesetting favourite Shoobee Doo A for the second straight race, and for the second straight time Imaginary Line utilized the Pocono Pike to overhaul that tough rival for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Mark Jakubik while lowering his lifetime best.
Jakubik/Tanneyhill lost the horse to a $52,055 claim, but they had haltered Imaginary Line for $30,137 just two races back – not a bad rate of return. In fact, the winners of all four of the claiming races today changed hands after the races, with six horses in all going through the box for $201,370.
The other 1:49.1 winners were the veteran Southwind Gendry, driven by Buter, and the sharp Epic Ace (new mark), reined by Napolitano Jr. Helping set up the quick clockings: the 10 paces produced four opening quarters in :26 or less, with another four going between :26.1 and :26.3.
Buter's other winner on the card was Carolina Beach in 1:50.4 for trainer Susan Marshall.
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at Pocono will feature three $30,000 USD divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars leg for freshman pacing fillies. Free Pocono programs are available at phha.org.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)