Western Joe, hard-used to make the lead just before the half, showed no ill effects late, crossing the wire an easy 1:49.2 winner in the $21,500 fast-class featured pace on Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
A son of Western Ideal, Western Joe got away fourth in a :26.1 contested quarter, then had to work hard to clear the early leader Major Crocker A, finally doing so for driver Pat Berry near the :54 mid-point. The three-quarters came and went in 1:21.1 without a threat to the favoured leader, and Western Joe had no anxious moments through the lane, with the razor-sharp Prairie Panther able to cut the winning margin down to 1-1/2 lengths by the finish.
The track record holder at 1-1/4 miles, Western Joe is trained by Christopher Choate for owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies. He has now bankrolled $540,031 in his career.
In the $20,000 claiming handicap pace, there was the first meeting of the in-form duo of Atta Boy Dan and Rock The Town, both of whom had been claimed for $40,000 six times since May 25.
The Western Terror gelding Atta Boy Dan won the head-to-head clash by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:50.3 on the engine over the pocket-sitting Rock The Town for driver George Napolitano, Jr., trainer Mike Watson, and owner Clifford Grundy. And yes, both horses were haltered for $40,000 for a seventh time – with Grundy/Watson getting some consolation because although they lost the winner ($78,400 in his last ten starts), they had the successful claim on Rock The Town ($66,600 in his last ten starts).
Havefaithinme N, despite being outside until the 5/8, partway with cover, before getting the lead, lowered his North American mile mark to 1:50 with a victory in a $17,500 pace for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Jose Godinez, and the partnership of Blindswitch Racing Stable, G Axelrod, Good Friends Racing Stable, and Santo Farina.
The career winner of $1,237,369 had previously had a much faster mark for the mile– in 2016 he won the Down Under classic Miracle Mile in 1:47 5/10, at the time the fastest mile clocking ever in Australasia.
First post time was delayed for 30 minutes because of the high heat index earlier in the day.
(PHHA / Pocono)