Rain came in early on the Monday (July 27) card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with a “fast” track being downgraded to “sloppy,” and when the rain left the surface was regraded to first “good” and then again “fast.”
The $29,577 featured fast-class trot, with the track having just been moved to “fast” status (as it stayed for the trot co-feature), proved a strong 1:51.2 victory for the Chapter Seven four-year-old gelding Mr Mouton, whom George Napolitano Jr. hustled directly to the top, put up early splits of :27.2, :56.2, and 1:24.1, then kicked home in :27.1 to win by three parts of a length over a very strong Celebrity Bambino.
The victory was the first for Mr Mouton since June 20, when Mr Mouton flew down the Meadowlands stretch to win in 1:50.2 and hand On To Norway his only defeat in his last 30 starts. Mr Mouton is trained by Åke Svanstedt for Knutsson Trotting Inc. of Del Ray Beach, GL, Little E LLC of New York, NY, Stolz Geiger of Columbus, OH, and Jorgen Sparredal Inc. of Delray Beach, FL.
The co-featured fast-class trot, worth $22,535, saw Brian Sears give the Archangel mare Black Velvet As a well-judged drive en route to a 1:52.2 mark for trainer Anette Lorentzon and ACL Stuteri AB of Paris, KY. Sears sat third as favored Abruzzo carved out a sharp pace, then gradually reeled that one in in the latter stages to have a three quarters of a length advantage on the money.
A pair of $22,535 events for Pennsylvania Preferred two-year-old pacing fillies were also contested on the card. Boardwalk Babe (Sweet Lou-Restive Hanover) wired the field in the first division in 1:53.0 with Anthony Napolitano in the bike for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. The Hunter Oakes trained Heaven To Betsy (Bulldog Hanover-Mikis World) scored in 1:56.4 in the second division as the second winner for Sears on the day.
Anthony Napolitano visited the winners circle five times on Monday, scoring addition wins with Sheikh Yabooty N (1:54.1, $2.40), Always Be City (1:52.2, $17.60), Lenna (1:50.3, $4.60) and Exceptionalism (1:52, $3)
The Tuesday (July 28) 1 p.m. card at Pocono has $16,000 USD events for both sexes of trotters and a pacing colt event, with many of these youngsters rounding into form for upcoming stakes action.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono Downs)