Farifant, driven by Andrew McCarthy, captured the $24,000 Open I Trot in track record fashion Tuesday night at Pocono Downs. The 1:52.1 winning time also established a new North American record for aged horses on a five-eighths mile track
, lowering the previous mark held by Four Starz Robro by four-fifths of a second.
Farifant won by two lengths over a fast-closing Dennis. The eight-year-old And Artifant stallion, trained by Anette Lorentzon, was winning for the fourth straight time at Pocono Downs.
The record-setting trot Tuesday came in wire-to-wire fashion from the seven post in the featured trot of the week.
Armbro Barrister, with Ray Schnittker in the sulky, previously held the record at Pocono Downs with a 1:53.1 mile set in June of 2006. Varenne, at the age of seven, established the aged stallion World Record on a five-eighths mile track in Finland in 2002 with the clock reading 1:51.3.
Badboy Paparazzi A, driven by Mike Simons and trained by Gail Wrubel, won the Open II Trot with a time of 1:54.
On the pace side Tuesday night, Presidential Order stopped the timer in 1:48.4, only two ticks of equaling the all-time track mark of 1:48.2.
Driven by Joe Pavia, Jr. and trained by Lou Pena, the five-year-old Camotion gelding scored a wire to wire victory from the eight hole in a $25,000-$30,000 claiming pace. This marked the ninth straight win for Presidential Order.
Pilgrims Toner, driven by Brian Sears, set the aged gelding pace record May 29 of this year with the timer reading 1:48.2 and also equaled the all-time fastest mile ever at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Shadow Play, in an Adios elimination race with David Miller in the bike in August of 2008, stopped the timer in 1:48.2.
(With files from Pocono Downs)
Farifant, 1.52.1 is from the
Farifant, 1.52.1 is from the Dubois italian breeding farm and from his own stallion and mare.
Look at how he drives? Fingers, hand ups, back straight, easy on the whip.