Trainer Per Engblom, second in this year’s North American trainers' statistics and current Pocono leader, has had the care of the Always A Virgin-Luxury Goods three-year-old colt Luxury Virgin for three starts, and the pacer scored his second victory for his new conditioner in the $19,178 conditioned pacing feature on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Simon Allard was able to sit third with the sophomore as Heaven Needs Me (Tyler Buter) set fractions of :27, :56.4, and 1:25.1, then moved him briskly into contention on the far turn before going on to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53.2. The colt paced his own back fractions in :56 - :27.4. Pacesetter Heaven Needs Me lasted for a dead-heat for second with hard-charging Summit Seelster (Anthony Napolitano). The winner paid $4.20.
Luxury Virgin is owned by Evans Nation, Hickory Hollow Stables, FAC Racing LLC, and Joseph Di Scala Jr. He is now three-for-14 this season after going winless in nine starts as a rookie.
Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, brought home five first-place finishers on the card, giving him 12 tallies during this four-day racing week, 18 in seven cards of Pocono competition in August, and 28 through the first 12 days of the month overall. He bookended the card, winning the first with Tru Blu Hypnotic ($2.80) and the finale with In A Tiny Way ($4.80), and also scored with Pepe Lou Pew ($4), Warrior One ($11.20), and Nordic Dancer S ($4.40).
Next on tap at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania is the biggest card of the year this Saturday afternoon, the $2.3 million USD Sun Stakes Saturday, featuring the first-ever showdown between super fillies Miki And Minnie and Chantilly, along with many of the other top three-year-olds and Invitational horses. There will also be four multi-race bets with guaranteed pools, including a $10,000 bounty ensured in the four top races for three-year-olds, and a carryover into the last-race High 5 pool.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)