The early speed and ratability of South Beach Star were the keys to his victory in the $25,342 fast-class featured pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, as he posted a 1:50.3 triumph.
Driver Braxten Boyd wanted to set the pace with the victorious Somebeachsomewhere-Higher And Higher gelding and paid the price of :26.4 to get the top spot. Boyd then was able to give his pacer a monstrous breather to a :56.3 half, then turned on the afterburners, reaching the three-quarters in 1:23.2 and then only needing to give mild hand coaxing to defeat pocket-sitter Joemikiyoursofine by a half length.
South Beach Star, now six, has certainly shown the will to win for trainer Mark Silva and All Star Racing Inc. – the fast side-wheeler is now six-for-10 this season and 31-for-82 (38 per cent win rate) lifetime, with earnings of $494,826.
Co-featured on the Saturday card were three $23,288 divisions of the trotting class often used by horses as a springboard up the class ladder. All three winners posted times within a fifth of each other.
Mr Grant shipped in to Pocono and promptly earned himself a new mark of 1:54.3. The Tactical Landing gelding and driver Jim Marohn Jr. refused to surrender the lead despite stiff challenges through fractions of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:25.2 and beyond, finishing out 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Tuis Angel, who had a hard trip, for trainer/owner D. R. Ackerman.
A theme of many races Saturday was horses making the lead then being able to back off the half as the field faced a stretch headwind, as exemplified by another Tactical Landing gelding, Purple Lord. Jason Bartlett got him to command early in :27.3, backed the half off to :57.3, then went to the third station in 1:26 and kept command to the wire in a 1:54.4 mile, with two-holer Frenchy Hanover nearest at the wire, a length back. John Butenschoen conditions the winner for Harmony Oaks Racing Stable Inc., Berg Bros. Stable and Rich Preziotti.
The Muscle Mass gelding Lava Field flowed right to the top and set fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:25.2 en route to an easy 1:54.4 victory, 3-3/4 lengths clear of Wild Ending, for Pollack Racing LLC. Lava Field was part of a four-winner day for driver George Napolitano, who is now tied with Matt Kakaley at 180 winners for the meet, and part of a double for trainer Jeff Cullipher, who now sports a 45-43 lead over Dean Eckley.
Ten favourites clicked on the 14-race card, yet there was still room for Sweet Shuney Moon ($87.80) in the first race and A Major Attitude ($99.80) in the 13th. It was the first day that Pocono had produced two “bombers” paying $50+ to win since April 29.
As perhaps a prelude to next Saturday’s $2 million USD Sun Stakes Saturday supercard (to be drawn Monday), there will be stakes performers headlining Sunday’s 6 p.m. program, as Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old trotting colts will contest the third preliminary round of their action, with two divisions of Sire Stakes and five sections of Stallion Series competition. There will also be a $3,396.90 carryover into Sunday’s first race Superfecta wager, and also a carryover into the last race High 5 bet.
(PHHA / Pocono)