Matt Kakaley posted the 4,000th win of his driving career on Sunday night (September 10) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, guiding the maiden trotter Rose Run Tyrone to an open length victory to reach the milestone.
Fittingly, Kakaley’s 4,000th winner was behind a horse trained by Ron Burke, for the 29-year-old's career really took off at the start of the decade when he became one of the preferred drivers for Burke’s far-flung stable, giving him plentiful driving opportunities at top ovals and the chance to handle some of the sport’s best horses. Kakaley has posted seven straight seasons of earnings over $5.9 million (U.S.), and in early September of this year he has already bankrolled almost $6.5 million, putting him in line to reach his personal seasonal high of $8.1 million, which he accomplished in 2014.
(And, by gosh, that almost looked like a smile on the poker-faced-driving Kakaley as he went under the finish line!)
Celebrity Eventsy earned a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 after taking full advantage of a pocket journey in winning the $25,000 Winners Over Trot. Jim Marohn Jr. hustled the four-year-old daughter of Manofmanymissions to the lead before the :27.2 quarter, then yielded to Centurion ATM and sat in the golden chair through middle splits of :56 and 1:24. But Centurion ATM had no answer for the pocket rocket late as Celebrity Eventsy blasted on by to win by two and three-quarter lengths. Staffan Lind conditions the winner of $551,060 for Celebrity Farms.
The Majestic Son gelding Golden Son notched his ninth victory of the season, and third in his last four starts, while equalling his lifetime best of 1:53.2 in the $20,000 co-feature trot. Driver George Napolitano Jr. sent the four-year-old to the lead past the quarter and remained in control from there, although Golden Son had to stay sharp to hold off the big late bid of third-over Infiniti As by a half-length. Jenny Melander trains the winner, who has earned $138,767 already this year, for owners John Devito and Rocco Manniello.
The Downs will now celebrate its annual “early” Oktoberfest, with a break in racing until a week from Monday, the 18th, when post time will be at 4:30 p.m.
(PHHA/Pocono)