There were three $41,096 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old pacing fillies on the Sunday, July 13 card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and all three of the winners were clocked in identical times of 1:53.4.
Two of the fillies were sired by the hot stallion Papi Rob Hanover, and one of them recorded her second straight win. That would be Call Me Angelita (out of Angels Pride), who was second in her purse debut while covering her own back half in :54.3, then won easily last week. Here driver Tim Tetrick sat her third through :29.1, :58.2 and 1:26.4 fractions, and she made a wicked brush home to just get by the pacesetting Kissedbyastranger (Yannick Gingras) by a neck with a :26.3 final quarter. Tall Dark Tequila (Tyler Buter) was third. Scott Di Domenico conditions the winning filly for Triple D And Oompa Farm, Michael Rekoon, Craig Henderson and Steve Stewart. She paid $3.20 to win.
The other two winners were driven by three-time defending Pocono champion Matt Kakaley, and they both recorded maiden victories after debuting with a second in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition. The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover with whom Kakaley won was Say Goodnight (out of One Last Kiss), who left and controlled the fractions to :29, :58.1 and 1:26.2, stepping her final panel in :27.2 while defeating Sandyboots Yankee (Gingras) by a length with Lovebug Hanover (George Napolitano Jr.) third. Nicholas Devita trains Say Goodnight for owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips. The win price was $3.40.
Kakaley was also in the sulky when the Captaintreacherous-Tica Hanover distaff Big Weekend, after :27, :56.3 and 1:25.3 splits, got into a very fast gear down the backstretch to sweep to the lead into the stretch, then had enough to hold off a late burst from a weaving-for-room Joyful Hanover (Gingras) by a half-length in a :28.1 last quarter. Sport N A Crush (Mike Cole) rounded out the ticket. Travis Alexander trains the winning freshman for Fiddler’s Creek Stables. He paid $2.80 to win.
Overall, Kakaley had three winners on the program to top the Pocono driving colony for the day.
Driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke finished second in all three All-Stars divisions.
In a pair of 13,698 trotting races for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) on Sunday's card, Matt Zuccarello and Anthony Verruso both delivered betting favourites to the winner’s circle. Zuccarello persisted through a never-ending duel to get 2-1 chalk Padre over the line first in a 1:56.1 mile for trainer James Matheos while Verruso steered 9-5 favourite Big Limo to a 1:55 victory in the other division for the Veronica Spicer stable.
Racing continues on Monday and Tuesday at Pocono Downs, with both cards scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono & AHDC)