You'd be hard-pressed to find a sharper pacing mare right now than Request For Parole, who won the $24,000 distaff feature Friday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, tallying in 1:49.2 to reduce her lifetime mark of 1:50, which she had achieved at The Meadowlands just seven days prior.
Driver Anthony Napolitano drew the assignment behind the five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover from trainer Ron Burke, and she scooted away quickly from the middle of the nine-horse field to reach the quarter in :26.1, only to let Gallie Bythe Beach, parked behind her early, go to the top at the three-eighths, before a sapping half-mile clocking of :53.3.
Scandalicious came strongly first-up down the backstretch and had reached the leader just past the 1:20.4 three-quarters, before going to the lead late on the turn. For a moment it looked like Request For Parole might be locked in jail behind the tiring pacesetter as the first-over might get away, but the top three had formed a breakaway trio, and "A-Nap" was able to swing his mare two- and three-wide behind the new leader, picking her up easily at midstretch to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC acquired the fast mare at the end of May, and now they have a pacer who looks like a possible national fast-class performer.
Saturday's card at The Downs is topped by a $30,000 Open Pace in race 10. Among the field of six are new millionaire Dynamic Youth; Take It Back Terry, making his first start since a hard-charging second as the favorite in the Levy Final on April 25; and Caution Signs, who was claimed for $12,500 on April 16 and since has fashioned a 9-6-3-0 record while working to the top class and lowering his mark to 1:48.3.
(PHHA / Pocono)