The Downs At Mohegan Sun Pocono carded four $11,700 feature events for two-year-olds on Monday afternoon (July 26), one for each combination of sex and gait.
Driver Tom Jackson won three of the featured events, including both trots for trainer Fred Grant and owner Russell Williams.
The Nuncio-Tuonela gelding Aggiornamento has quickly become the very definition of consistency – he’s made three lifetime starts, and he’s recorded three victories, all of them timed in 1:58.1. Jackson kept the baby behind pacesetter Slave Labour to the stretch, then worked past that one by 1-3/4 lengths while coming home in :28.2.
The Bar Hopping-Melusine filly Luisella was ready for Jackson, Grant and Williams in her career debut, coming uncovered from midfield and winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:59.2 over 80-1 bomber Wild Kat G. Luisella had prepped for her debut with a 2:00.4 Pocono qualifier.
Jackson’s third victory with a freshman came with a talented filly from the John Butenschoen barn, the Huntsville–Major Master Piece miss Patsville, who followed up a New York “Excel A” win at Buffalo in 1:57.2 with a new mark of 1:54.1 here. Patsville moved to the lead past the quarter and put in a :27.3 last quarter to win by 7-1/2 lengths for William C. and William P. De Long.
The colt pace went to the Betting Line-Ideal Nectarine gelding Bet Eightthirtyone, who came strongly from the pocket to beat Donali by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55. Marcus Miller drove the baby for trainer Erv Miller and owner D R Van Witzenburg.
Marcus Miller and Tom Jackson tied with trainer Sofia Zingale with three victories on the card, but chances are that the trainer got a special delight in her three-bagger – Zingale’s career total is now up to 40 victories, whereas the two sulkysitters now have 8,729 victories between them.
The $15,300 “non-winners of 8 races” class has two feature events on the Tuesday card: male pacers go in race ten, and then trotters in race twelve. Program pages for the 12:30 p.m. (EDT) card are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Pocono)