The in-form duo of pacer Ideal Kiss and driver George Napolitano Jr. combined to take the $20,000 claiming handicap pacing feature on Saturday, Aug. 25 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Napolitano Jr. sent the gelded son of American Ideal to the top well before the :27 quarter and then got a big breather while reaching the half in 56.3. From there the sprint was on and nobody had enough sprint to catch Ideal Kiss as he completed the 1:51.1 mile two lengths ahead of Skyful Of Lighters.
Ideal Kiss has now won three of his last four while rising from a price tag of $15,000 to $30,000. The latter price is what trainer Hunter Oakes claimed him for out of his last start, and the career winner of $145,630 has already earned back a third of his purchase price for the Northfork Racing Stable.
As for meet-leading driver George Napolitano, the victory was the sixth of the night, and he would end the evening with seven trips to Victory Lane.
In the $17,500 co-featured pace, George’s brother Anthony Napolitano was victorious with the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding Rodeo Rock in 1:50.3. Napolitano brushed with the winner of $296,720 in front of the stands and stepped to the lead. Rodeo Rock had enough to withstand Soho Wallstreet A by a length for his second-straight victory. Robert Cleary conditions the winner for Royal Wire Products Inc.
The final preliminary in the popular summerlong Great Northeast Open Series will be held at Pocono on Sunday, Aug. 26 with open trotters going after a $30,000 purse. The two early favourites are double world-champion Homicide Hunter and Smalltownthrowdown, who posted a 1:51.1 victory the last time the two collided. Pocono will host $100,000 Championships at one-and-one-quarter miles for all the Great Northeast Open Series classes on Sunday, Sept. 2 on a $1.5M card that will also feature the Championships of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-olds.
(With files from the PHHA)