Open pacers and open trotters competing in the Great Northeast Open Series will each go for $30,000 purses on Sunday (Aug. 26), with the pacers set for afternoon action at Harrah’s Philadelphia and the trotters competing under the lights at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
This will be the final chance for horses to accumulate points toward eligibility in their $100,000 Great Northeast Championship events, to be held at 1-1/4 miles, at Pocono on Sunday, Sept. 2.
In the afternoon at Philly, Mach It So, who has two wins and a second in series competition, has been tabbed the 3-1 morning-line favourite. The winner of $2.6 million, starting from post 3 with driver George Napolitano Jr., comes off a win at the highest conditioned level at Yonkers, and good early speed has always been part of his arsenal.
The 7-2 second choice is Donttellmeagain, and with only a win and a fourth in Great Northeast competition, he would greatly benefit from capturing Sunday’s race as a springboard to the final. Starting from the trailing post 9 for driver Victor Kirby, Donttellmeagain has won three of his last four starts, including the Graduate Series Final and a 1:49.1 win two weeks ago in the Great Northeast.
The final Great Northeast preliminary for the trotting set is slated for Sunday evening at Pocono. The early 5-2 favourite is Homicide Hunter, double world record holder and the leading point earner among the Great Northeast trotters. Earlier in the season, Homicide Hunter had a five-race winning streak, but he lost his last two outings while coming from behind – he may go back to speedy tactics here from post 7 with Napolitano aboard.
The second choice at 3-1, and second in the series standings, is Smalltownthrowdown, to be handled by Simon Allard from post 5. Smalltownthrowdown has one of the recent wins over Homicide Hunter, a 1:51.1 career best in Great Northeast action at Pocono on July 30.
Both races are slotted for race 10 on their respective cards. The Philly card starts at 12:40 p.m., while the Pocono action begins at 7 p.m.
(PHHA)