Bijou Blue Chip was the longest shot on the board at 92-1 as she made her career debut from post eight, and she was in the second half of her field most of the race but then mounted a winning rally in the co-featured $22,222 freshman filly trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
The Back Of The Neck-Read The Book filly clocked a maiden time of 1:57.1 for driver Lauren Tritton and trainer Annie Stoebe, the latter of whom shares ownership with Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and R. Lynn Curry. She came second-over down the backstretch, then flew late in the stretch to prevail by a half-length. Bijou Blue Chip’s win payoff was $186.40, the highest recorded at The Downs since Spit And Vinegar paid $214.60 on Oct.12, 2021. This was the third consecutive card at the mountain oval where a $100+ longshot blew up the tote board; that kind of “triple” has not been matched in the last 10 years at Pocono. A total of 10 carryover pools were generated by the massive overthrow of the form book during the three-day week.
The race for Bjiou Blue Chip's male counterparts was won by the Walner-Molto Bene gelding Celebrity Tequila ($13), with whom driver Brian Sears (six-for-15 in his return) set a slow pace then maintained the advantage for a maiden mark of 2:00. The gelding won by a length for his first career victory from six starts for Flying A Racing Stable, Celebrity Farms, and trainer Hunter Oakes’s H O Racing Inc.
There were also two $22,222 co-features for rookie pacing fillies, both bringing maiden victories. The Perfect Sting-Philly Hanover distaff Phillys Sting ($10.40) got the nod in a 1:55.3 neck decision for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Juan Cano, and Hot Lead Farm, taking her first win in her fourth attempt. The Stay Hungry-Chant Down Babylon filly Kinda Girl U Like ($11.20) went into grinding mode to be along by a length in 1:56 in start number five for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Triple D Stables Inc.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 1 p.m., with a $21,000 USD fast-class conditioned pace the top event of the day. On Saturday, Aug. 22, Pocono will host North America’s top three-year-olds and free-for-allers in the $2.3 million USD Sun Stakes Saturday supercard, with a first-race post that day of 2:30 p.m. The fields for Sun Stakes Saturday will be drawn the morning of Monday, Aug. 17.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)