After spectacularly fast miles from two very promising three-year-olds, the rains came to northeast Pennsylvania and Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania mid-card on Monday afternoon, July 14, and with the heavy downpour and more similar weather along the way, track management and horsepeople agreed to the cancellation to the final five races of the scheduled 13-race card.
Among the lost races were a $34,247 fast-class distaff pace and two $20,548 events for up-and-coming horses.
The two $20,548 races that were held -- one for pacers and one for trotters -- featured superlative efforts by the winning three-year-olds.
The pacing contest that went was for females (the males had their race washed out) and it was taken by Champagne Room, who roared home in a new mark of 1:48.4 – only a fifth of a second off Kiss Me Onthebeach’s 2016 track record and only two-fifths behind the world mark for five-eighth-mile tracks set by Odds On Hail Mary at Harrah's Philadelphia in 2023.
The Jack Pelling-driven, Noel Daley-trained filly went faster in each quarter -- :27.4 in getting away third, then brushing to the lead to the lead with :27.1 speed to hit the half in :55. A :27 third quarter got the filly to the three-quarters station in 1:22, and then she threw a haymaker :26.4 at her opponents to leave them far behind. Simply Perfect (Simon Allard) and Beckoning Yankee (Ridge Warren) were the closest to her five lengths behind.
The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover and millionairess See You At Peelers stamped herself as a horse to watch for the ownership of Patricia Stable, L A Express And Sjobolm Inc., and Michael Dolan.
The 1:51.2 victory by The Rogue Prince in the only division of the two carded trots that got to go certainly deserves plaudits as well, as that clocking is the fastest trot mile of the year recorded over the Pocono strip.
The Rogue Prince was content to bide time mid-pack for driver Tim Tetrick as Camera Man (Ake Svanstedt) laid down fractions of :27.3, :55.3 and 1:23.2, getting underway nearing the last-named station. Camera Man gave a good fight to the wire, but The Rogue Prince pushed on relentlessly to win by a length, with his own last fraction in :27.2. Top Floor Tactis (Colin Kelly) completed the top three.
Lucas Wallin trains the talented colt by Walner out of world champion Check Me Out for the ownership of Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Karin Walter-Mommert, Arden Homestead Stable and Solfrid Myhre.
The racing week concludes at Pocono on Tuesday at 1 p.m. -- Pocono held its inaugural card 60 years ago from that day, July 15, 1965.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of Champagne Room winning on July 14)