Trainer Mike Deters and driver Anthony Napolitano combined successfully for the second time on a dank (55 degrees, 'sloppy +1' surface) Sunday night card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono when Prairie Fortune won the $17,500 featured trot in 1:53.4.
A five-time winner overall on the program, Napolitano used the rail to advantage and worked out a good two-hole trip behind pacesetter Crazshana with the victorious altered son of Arapa Victory, then pulled away in the lane to be 3-1/2 lengths clear of that rival at the finish, coming his own last half in :56.3. Trainer Deters co-owns the winner of $398,495 with Laurie Lee Poulin.
Earlier, the backers in the crowd were few but were loud, as 99-1 shot College Hanover overcame a first-over trip for driver Drew Chellis to hold off 85-1 shot Takethemoneyandrun by a head in 1:55, returning $336.40 for a $2 ticket. That number was the biggest win mutuel at Pocono since November 17, 2015, when Lady Of The Lake and driver Joe Antonelli returned $400.60 to win after a nose victory.
College Hanover, trained by Richard Dunn for the MBC Stables LLC, did have some license in his pedigree – he is a Well Said out of the $590,000 winner Castanet Hall, and his three-quarter brother Cashendash Hanover pushed his earnings over $575,000 when he won at Philly last Sunday. But the crowd was discouraged by College Hanover’s 0-for-32 lifetime record – not knowing that the 33rd time would be the charm for the sophomore.
Pocono is scheduled for a “dark night” tomorrow, as the scheduled annual local golfing tournament is as rabidly followed and enjoyed as much as a Super Bowl or a Wrestlemania card. The weather gods just may smile on the golfers, although rain is the 2-5 favourite at the moment (but if a horse can pay $336.60...).
(PHHA/Pocono)