The first stakes event of the year for two-year-olds went as The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted five $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for pacing colts on Sunday, July 1.
De Los Cielos Deo added the five-eighths mile track season’s record to his already-impressive resume, winning in 1:53. The winner raced midpack outside at the quarter in :27.4, with Captain Malicious third and frontward-bound. After he made the top, Yannick Gingras got the front with De Los Cielos Deo, reaching the half in :57 and the three-quarters in 1:26.
Sprinting into the final quarter, De Los Cielos Deo held off Captain Malicious by a half-length in 1:53, which gave the winner a second seasonal best. Ron Burke conditions the precocious baby out of dam Lisjune for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Larry Karr, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver-Bruscemi LLC.
The former season’s recordholder for baby colts at 1:53.4, Lyons Night Hawk, also won a division in 1:53.3. The son of Sweet Lou-Weapons Against, who sat the pocket behind pacesetting favourite Semi Tough, caught him by a neck.
The Well Said–Stolly Up Bluechip colt Lyons Johnnyjnr won in wire-to-wire fashion from post six in 1:53.2 in another division, putting him temporarily at the top of the hill. The clocking was also a mark for Lyons Johnnyjnr, who is owned by Joseph-Lyons Mound.
Proof made the lead in the next division past the quarter from post six and set the pace, blistering home to lower his best clocking to 1:53.4 while withstanding a pocket rally from Captain Victorious by a neck. The son of A Rocknroll Dance–Ginger And Fred was driven by David Miller for trainer Brian Brown and Diamond Creek Racing.
Sire Sweet Lou got a second stakes credit and Diamond Creek Racing had a consecutive owning double when Blood Money came home won in 1:54.3 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter. Out of the mare Blood Diamond, Blood Money had previously won a Meadowlands baby race in 1:53.4.
Tim Tetrick drove a third winner in a $30,000 Sunday Pocono race when he got a ferocious late rally from the Bettors Delight mare Divas Image, who won a blanket finish in a Great Northeast Open Series race for pacing mares in 1:49, a new mark and a season’s record. Tetrick was locked in much of the mile with the Jennifer Bongiorno trainee, then found room in front of a gapper late on the turn, swung widest and thundered past everybody nearing the wire. The pointleader in her Great Northeast division, Divas Image is owned by Joseph Bongiorno LLC, Howard Taylor, Thomas Lazzaro, and J&T Silva Stables LLC.
(With files from PHHA)L