Driver Matt Kakaley won four races on the Tuesday, Sept. 11 card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, including two of the three $15,000 featured events, one on the trot and two on the pace – with both pacers getting their first victories of the year.
Rain came to the mountain oval late on the Tuesday card, downgrading the track to “good” by the time Kakaley teamed with the trotting gelding Mikey Likes It to take a three-horse photo over Unforgetable and Justlikehim in 1:57, a lifetime mark. The son of Mutineer had been second in all three of his recent starts, all at Pocono and all at 2-1 or less. But the crowd kept faith in him by sending him off the favourite and he kept on grinding gamely late after gaining uncovered to tally for trainer Jean Drolet and owner Nancy Deluca.
Somebeachsomewhere filly Majorsspeciallady dropped in class and won for the first time in 364 days while taking a new mark of 1:52.1 before the rain came and the track was rated “fast”. Kakaley and the winner got parked past to three-eighths for command in the pace for distaffs but she still had enough to withstand a late bid from Thats Amazing by a head for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and J&T Silva Stables LLC.
Driver Tyler Buter, recently a late-night longshot special, had three winners paying $15 or more in the first four races on the Tuesday card including a 1:51 lifetime-best victory with Highland Beach Boy in the division of the featured class for male pacers. The sophomore gelding gave sire Somebeachsomewhere a sweep of the pacing features and he ended a 304-day winless drought by quarter-moving for Buter and holding off potential pocket rocket Spolieronthebeach by a half-length. He competes for trainer Pat Lachance, co-owner with M & M Harness Racing LLC, Royal Flush Stables LLC, and Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc.
(With files from PHHA)