Sophomore filly Calamity Hour overcame a very difficult first-over trip to take the $21,233 conditioned pacing distaff feature in 1:52.1 on Monday afternoon, Sept. 1 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Favoured in the headline contest, Calamity Hour waited in fourth early as chief rival Odds On Aces Full (Matt Kakaley) passed the first three poles in :27.3, :57 and 1:25.3 while in front. The daughter of Huntsville-Also Encouraging started an uncovered move down the backstretch, quickly reached the pacesetter and then grinded away inexorably and worked by the game leader late while posting a 1-1/4-length decision. Odds On Aces Full stayed for second and Papis Opinion (Jack Pelling) was third.
Deborah Daguet trains Calamity Hour for Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I., and her own Daguet Racing LLC. Calamity Hour was driven by Anthony Napolitano, who had a total of four victories on the day to lead the horsemen, including wins in all three of the claiming handicap trots. (Two of those winners are trained by Anthony Faulkner, the only conditioning doubler on the day.)
The feature was for “non-winners of five races” company; there were also three $20,548 contests for horses in the basic “non-winners of four races” bracket. In the section for male pacers, the Always B Miki-Benear gelding Laugh Shop streaked to his third win in his last four starts in 1:50.4, with potential pocket rocket Chief Bogo (Ridge Warren) staying close but still finishing 1-1/2 lengths shy in a :27.3 last quarter. Matt Kakaley drove Laugh Shop for trainer Jill Wine and the partnership of Samuel Abdoo and Wine Stable.
Simon Allard, himself a three-time winner on the day, drove both of the trotting co-feature winners, both of them clocking a 1:55 mile. The Braggart-Marisa Hall gelding Last Of Braggert (spelling verified) paid the biggest price of the day, $19.60, winning by 1-1/2 lengths for trainer Brittany Dillon and owner Howard Taylor, while the Readly Express-Baronesse Ima gelding Furst Igor S also benefitted from Allard’s handling, rolling home in :27.4 to score by 2-1/4 lengths for trainer Marc Mosher and A 1 Racing.
Pocono closes out its racing week with a 1 p.m. card on Tuesday. On Monday, Sept. 8, high-powered Pennsylvania Stallion Series horses who earned the most points in their preliminary rounds will square off for divisional bragging rights and $320,000 USD spread over the eight stakes categories for two- and three-year-olds.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono Downs)