Summer Indian undoubtedly enjoyed the warm summer temperature on Friday night (July 5) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The four-year-old Ontario-sired Majestic Son gelding, from the Ron Burke barn and driven by Matt Kakaley, broke a world trotting record that was already established on the red dirt speedway in the Pocono Mountains.
Leaving from post five, Summer Indian took control of the field just past a :27.1 first quarter and sped through subsequent quarter times of :54.3 and 1:22 before stopping the teletimer in 1:51.1.
The previous 1:52 four-year-old gelding world record on a five-eighth-mile oval was held by Macho Lindy and set in 2008.
Eight divisions of two-year-old filly trotter Pennsylvania All Stars races were also on the card. The races each carried a purse of $30,000.
The Friday night started out with the following winners of the Pennsylvania All Stars races: Struck By Lindy (Explosive Matter-Lindy Of My Dreams), driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Nifty Norman, in 1:56.4; Juniata Hanover (Cantab Hall-Justgotafeeling), driven by Kakaley and trained by Burke, in 1:58.3; and Designed To Be (Donato Hanover-Sheer Soul), driven by Tyler Buter and trained by Julie Miller, in 1:57.3.
The duo of Pierce and trainer Jimmy Takter then won with Honor Thy Daughter (Donato Hanover-Honorable Daughter) in 1:57; Shake It Cerry (Donato Hanover-Solveig) in 1:54.4 (a time that came close to equalling the track mark of 1:54.3); and Lifetime Pursuit (Cantab Hall-Queen Of Grace) in 1:57.1.
The final two divisions of the evening for the freshman filly trotters went to Vanity Matters (Explosive Matter-Vanity Plates), driven by Andrew McCarthy and trained by Jonas Czernyson, in 1:57.2; and Global Magic (Broadway Hall-Global Glamour), driven by McCarthy and trained by Peter Foley, in 1:56.2.
(With files from Pocono Downs)