Driver Jason Bartlett, second in the North American earnings table, added to his totals with four winners on Sunday night, Aug. 18 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, including a sweep of the $23,288 trotting features and the $22,603 top pace, all the winners setting lifetime marks.
The faster of the two trotting winners was Bellissimo Face S, a gelded son of Raja Mirchi, who led throughout fractions of :26.4, :56.2 and 1:24.3, then moved effortlessly to the wire to win over Partner Dolan by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:52.3. The import is trained by Per Engblom, who is also co-owner with Kasper Foget.
Father Stosh did not have an easy trip from the outside post eight in the other trotting headliner, but Bartlett coaxed enough out of the son of Father Patrick to get him to the wire a head to the good of Chezactic while reducing his mark to 1:53.3. Involved at several points in a mile with fractions of :27, :55.3 and 1:23.3, Father Stosh was most involved when it most counted, winning for trainer Jill Roland and owner Bernard O’Brien.
In the $22,603 top-drawer claiming handicap pace, Lunar parked 12-time seasonal winner Shoobee Doo A a good part of a :26 quarter, sat attached in the pocket through midfractions of :54.3 and 1:21.3, then came outside for Bartlett and caught the pacesetter by a half length while taking a new mark of 1:48.4. The son of Sweet Lou is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phil Collura, Knox Services Inc., and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
It was a good night for drivers wearing red and white as Bartlett had four wins, Matt Kakaley three, George Napolitano Jr. two and Anthony Napolitano one.
Yogi Sheridan notched another victory under his cap in the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Summer Trotting Series when winning the lone $13,699 dash with 8-5 favourite Jive Ninety Five in 1:56.2. Peter Pellegrino owns and trains the seven-year-old gelding by Andover Hall.
Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old trotting fillies will go in their final preliminary in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series on Monday’s 1 p.m. card, looking to cinch spots in their early September Championships. The favourites in the two divisions of the Sire Stakes, Ms Prada and Divine Thing, are both daughters of hot sire Greenshoe.
(PHHA/Pocono Downs & AHDC)