The Betterthancheddar mare Miss You N, given a pocket trip by driver Scott Zeron, gained into a :54.3 last half to catch pacesetter Vorst by a half length while taking a mark of 1:51.2 when winning the $14,000 pacing feature for mares during the Sunday (July 5) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Miss You N was away quickly and stretched Vorst to a :27.2 opener, then yielded and sat in the two-hole as Vorst got a breather to a :56.4 half. Favoured Apple Bottom Jeans made a first-over move to and past a 1:24 three-quarters to challenge, but eventually the race came down to the first two inside horses and Zeron utilized the Pocono Pike to catch the pacesetter. Ross Croghan trains the winner for the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC, who saw their mare boost her bankroll to $181,430.
The Irish-bred mare Blackwell Ruby IR showed no rust after a near-four month layoff, brushing to the lead in front of the stands and going on to a career-best 1:51.2 mile in a $13,600 distaff pacing class. Jim Marohn Jr. drove the winner of 12 in 16 starts for trainer Bob Cleary and owner Gavin Murdock.
Stopping the clock a tick faster than the featured females was the Canadian-shipping Captaintreacherous sophomore colt A Positive Hanover, who was pointed down the road by driver Corey Callahan and kept on rolling to a convincing lifetime-best 1:51.1 victory. Third in a division of the Bluegrass at two, A Positive Hanover looks ready to fulfill his potential now for trainer Blake MacIntosh, co-owner with Steve Heimbecker, Touchstone Farms Inc. and Larry Denley.
(PHHA/Pocono)