Lucky Bettor, driven by Anthony Napolitano and trained by Ron Burke, got the perfect pocket trip behind the front running Special Report (Larry Stalbaum) and won the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace Friday, September 18 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
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Stalbaum left from the nine hole with Special Report and was “burning up” the five-eighths mile oval, taking the nine-horse field to the opening quarter in :25.3, half in :58 and three-quarters in 1:21.4 with Napolitano and Lucky Bettor sitting second all the way from the eight post.
It was down the stretch when Napolitano tipped out and battled Stalbaum and Special Report, winning by a neck with third going to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs’s newcomer Cinderella Guy (Jim Morrill, Jr.) third in the race, three-quarters of a length back.
The mile was registered in 1:50.1, a new life mark for Lucky Bettor. The five-year-old Bettors Delight gelding now has amassed more than $217,000 in earnings in 2009 for trainer Burke and $402,750 lifetime on seven wins in 22 starts with three second-place finishes and five third-place finishes.
Napolitano and Burke also combined earlier to score a victory with Natural Paradise, a three-year-old Western Ideal filly.
(Pocono Downs)