The Always A Virgin mare Walkin On Sunshine provided sunshine on a cloudy day for chalk players Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, holding off waves of stretch challengers to capture the $34,722 distaff fast-class pacing feature in 1:50.
Jack Pelling settled the heavy favourite in third early behind a :26.3 quarter, then was on the move and gained the lead well before the :54.4 half. The challengers started moving down the backstretch and kept coming past the 1:22.4 three quarters, with the game pacesetter fending off each one; the one that wound up closest to her at the wire, 45-1 shot Huntress, closed well but missed by a half length.
Walkin On Sunshine has compiled an enviable record for trainer Brett Pelling and owners Maynard Miller, Daniel Lehman, and Michael Yoder: this year she has won 12 of 18 starts, and is 27-for-66 lifetime. Her earnings are $395,755 for the year (on August 4) and $759,711 in her career.
Complementing the mares feature were a pair of races for up-and-coming horses, one on each gait.
The $21,528 pace was a microcosm of the wild day of racing at The Downs. Dreamboat Hanover forced No Tresspassing to go a :25.2 quarter to make the top, with that one carrying on to fractions of :53 and 1:21.1 as the outer tiers could make no headway. That gave room for both Dreamboat Hanover to move outside and third-in TH Colby to come up the Pocono Pike; Dreamboat Hanover failed to gain on No Tresspassing, but TH Colby did get a short lead in midstretch – only to see No Tresspassing fight back to cross the wire first by a nose in a 1:49.1 mile.
Turning for home No Tresspassing did trespass into the Pocono Pike and take early space away from TH Colby, and thus was placed behind that rival. On a day of longshots, he was the biggest at $71.40, and the Papi Rob Hanover gelding, according to the rules, also gets credit for the 1:49.1 as a mark. Simon Allard was the driver of TH Colby for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phil Collura, Lawrence Karr, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
In a $20,833 trot, the Walner colt Assiduous assiduously maintained the pocket behind a speed battle, then went to the Pocono Pike and won in 1:57, three parts of a length to the good of Stevie Ray. Trainer Jim Pantaleano also handled the driving for Elite Harness Racing LLC.
Anthony Napolitano had four wins on the day; Jim Pantaleano guided three winners, including two he trained (the only conditioner to double); Jack Pelling had a pair; and Simon Allard bookended the card by being placed up with TH Colby.
The racing week at Pocono concludes with a Tuesday (Aug. 5) 1 p.m. card, with a carryover into the Pick 5 wager beginning in race five and also a carryover into the last race High 5 wager. Right around the corner, on Saturday, Aug. 16, is Pocono’s biggest card of the year, the $2M+ USD Sun Stakes Saturday card with rich features for three-year-olds and invitational horses (to be drawn next Monday, Aug. 11).
(With files from PHHA / Pocono Downs)