Driver Anthony Napolitano guided six winners on the Saturday afternoon, July 20 card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and combined with trainer Lance Hudson, owner William Hartt and the photo finish camera for the two success stories of the afternoon’s $23,288 trotting features.
The quicker of the feature winners was the Helpisontheway mare Wild Way (pictured above), who found top position at several points in the mile and caught favoured tempo-setter Purple Lord by a half length in 1:54.4. Wild Way raced into a good forward inside spot early, was able to back out to the two-wide tier down the back, then had enough time swinging wide off the final turn to wear down the chalk nearing the wire.
The Swan For All gelding Energysource moved to the lead in front of the stands and maintained an advantage to the wire in the other headline event, though pocket-sitting favourite Lava Field rallied late to narrow the winning margin to a nose. Energysource completed his mile in 1:55.
In the last two weeks' $22,603 claiming handicap for the top-priced pacers at the Downs, Imaginary Line had caught Shoobee Doo A in running a win skein to six, but the early mix was different this time, with Shoobee Doo A here holding on grittily for a 1:51.3 triumph over Imaginary Line, who had to try to rally from third-in this week but missed by three-quarters of a length. Shoobee Doo A was guided by George Napolitano Jr. The connections of the first two finishers lost their horses via the claiming box for a combined total of $105,480, on a day where nine horses switched surroundings for $320,548.
Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old pacing fillies invade The Downs double-digit divisions deep for Sunday’s 6 p.m. card, with three Sire Stakes cuts and seven Stallion Series sections. Papi Grad will likely draw the bulk of the attention off of two consecutive 10-1/4-length triumphs in 1:51.1f while facing stakes competition. There will also be a double carryover into the last race’s Hi-5 wager. Free Pocono programs will be available at phha.org.
(PHHA / Pocono)