The hot combination of driver Tom Jackson, trainer Fred Grant, and owner-breeder Russell Williams continued their recent success with trotting two-year-olds on Monday (Aug. 2) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, visiting “Victory Lane” with a pair of fillies.
There were four $11,700 events scheduled for two-year-olds at the mountain oval, one for each combination of sex and gait. The Bar Hopping-Melusine miss Luisella remained undefeated through two starts by speeding to victory in her group’s race in 1:56.3, lowering her mark by almost three seconds. Jackson moved Luisella to the lead in front of the stands, circled by early pacesetter Rheia Rose, then came home in :28.2 to keep her rival three lengths behind.
With two trotting fillies needing a race and only one opportunity to face peers, Williams and Grant decided to give the Resolve-Afterimage filly Grace And Favor her debut in a maiden contest against older horses, both females and males. But the experience factor was overcome by the sheer talent of the baby filly, who was sent to the lead in the second quarter by Jackson and came home with a two-length advantage over favoured Hurrikane Willie G in 1:57.2.
The meet’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., had four winners on the card. Tom Jackson visited Victory Lane three times – in addition to the two baby trotting distaffs, he guided the fastest performer of the day, Captain McKee, to a 1:51 win.
The $15,300 events for the class-climbing “nw 8 races” horses will make for a triple feature on Tuesday (Aug. 2) at Pocono: pacing females in Race 8, pacing males in Race 10, and trotters in Race 13. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA/Pocono)