The Father Patrick sophomore gelding Divine Spirit was reserved off a very fast pace by driver Eric Carlson, with the pair rallying in the last three-eighths to get first in the $15,000 featured trot on the Tuesday, Aug. 13 card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Divine Spirit was away sixth as P L Ketchup had to go a :26.4 quarter to get by fellow speedster Papi Hanover. Those two remained one-two past a :55.4 half, with the winner moving outside past that call and then getting cover from Trixar well before three-quarters, timed in 1:24.1. P L Ketchup looked as if he might survive to the wire despite the taxing pace, but Divine Spirit was moving fastest of all late and took a new mark in 1:54 while defeating P L Ketchup by a neck.
The victory was the first of the season for the gelding, who is trained by Brett Pelling and co-owned by him with Lindy Farms of Connecticut.
In a $14,000 co-featured mares pace, slotted in Race 10, the A Rocknroll Dance mare Sidewalk Dancer became the first favourite to win on the card when she tallied for driver George Napolitano Jr. in 1:51. Sidewalk Dancer was on the move at the :26.3 quarter, made the lead and got a :56.1 breather to the midpoint. She then went 1:23.1 to the three-quarters and kept some nice distaffs at bay in the lane, winning by three-and-a-quarter lengths over Brunhilda for trainer Chris Oakes and the ownership of Northfork Racing Stable, Omar Beiler, and Dennis Coons.
(PHHA/Pocono)