Trotters were twice in the feature race spotlight on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and it was longshots, not the storm passing through the area, that lit up the toteboard.
The rain started just before the $21,528 featured event on the card, turning the surface from fast to good, at which it stayed the rest of the day. The off going didn’t hinder the Love You-Wind Stroll sophomore gelding Beaujolais Breeze (Tyler Buter), who was fourth through first-half splits of :27.4 and :57.1, made a powerful move to command en route to three-quarters in 1:26.1, and went on to defeat second-over Bizzy Brenda (Steve Smith) by 1-1/4 lengths while taking a new lifetime best of 1:55. Scudo Hanover (Jim Marohn Jr.) was third.
Beaujolais Breeze ($33), unraced at two, had won three of his first six career starts in eastern Pennsylvania before trying Kentucky stakes company for five starts, earning some checks but never hitting the board. The bettors saw the mediocre Bluegrass finishes and must have overlooked the early potential he showed, for Beaujolais Breeze was dismissed at 14-1 before winning for the track’s leading driver, trainer Nifty Norman, and the ownership of Tom Vassiliou, Deo Volente Farms LLC, Thomas Pontone, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. He is now four-for-12 lifetime.
P L Quinella had come to Pocono off two straight successes at Grand River Raceway, made a break in his mountain debut, then fronted the field while setting a new mark of 1:53.4 last time out at 39-1. The step up in class to the $17,361 co-feature level and post eight inflated his price, but P L Quinella was not ruffled at all, winning in 1:54.4 before the rain came. Johnathan Ahle left from post eight to get him a pocket trip and waited for the Pocono Pike, and the gelding went right on by in hand, paying win backers to the tune of $66. Chef Rocco (Simon Allard) finished second over Happy Chopper (Buter). The crowd will likely be more savvy the next time the winning Kadabra-P L Indyanaca gelding, trained by Anthony Faulkner for owner Jaypaul Hoover, takes to the track. The five-year-old has won four of 12 outings this year.
Driving triples were posted by the two drivers who have won the last fifteen Pocono dash crowns – Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr. Kakaley’s three-bagger included a win for trainer Mike Simons, a former Pocono driving champion who last raced locally on Apr. 1 before spending the spring and summer in Kentucky. Napolitano’s triple included two horses for trainer Linda Toscano, the only conditioner who doubled on the card.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by the last Sunday card of 2025 at the northeast Pennsylvania oval, which will start at 6 p.m.
(PHHA/Pocono)