Driver Brett Beckwith, the Dan Patch Award-winner for Rising Star earlier this year, came to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, Sept. 20 and showed local fans that the United States has a strong chance for the World Driving Championship in New Zealand in November with him as representative.
The 22-year-old phenom won five races on the card, including the $37,671 Winners Over Pace with Spring Inhis Step A in 1:49.1. Beckwith guided the Somebeachsomewhere-Summa Of Dreams gelding to the lead before the :26.3 quarter, rated him to middle splits of :55 and 1:22.1, then kept his pacer rolling with mild vocal encouragement, winning by 1-1/4 lengths over inside challeneger Congressional (Kevin Wallis). Voukefalas (Braxten Boyd) was third.
Spring Inhis Step A, now a winner of $561,263 and 27 races in 93 career starts, is trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
Beckwith also had the sulky duty behind Manolete, who found a dropdown from facing some of the nation’s best colts just the rejuvenating ticket in a $27,397 conditioned pace for horses on the rise, with the Cattlewash-Glancewithme sophomore colt taking a new mark of 1:49.4. He did not get an easy trip: three-wide through much of a :26.4 quarter, coming first-over not much past a :54.2 half, then attacking pacesetting Odds On Wildfire (Jim Marohn Jr.) through and past a 1:22 three-quarters. But Beckwith appeared to know exactly what he needed to win, and his colt delivered nicely as he scored by 3-3/4 lengths over Odds On Wildfire. Got Bourbon (Jim Pantaleano) was third. Manolete is trained by Bruce Saunders for the ownership of M&L Of Delaware LLC and M&M Harness Racing LLC. The colt is now eight-for-27 with $620,262 in earnings.
“Double B” wasn’t done there winning feature races. He captured the first of two $23,973 sub-feature conditioned contests for upcoming horses, this one on the pace, with the Captaintreacherous-Mesmerize Bluechip gelding Magnifico Hanover in 1:50. Magnifico Hanover worked to the lead by quarter, then put in successive back quarters of :27.2 to be in control for trainer Cote Keim, who co-owns the four-year-old with Deo Volente Farms LLC and Thomas Pontone.
Beckwith's other winners were Angelo ($13.20) in the opener and Spring Blake ($16) in the sixth race. The reinsman, coming off a 608-win season last year, has racked up 465 to date in 2025.
In the sub-feature for up-and-comers on the trot, very few thought Beckwith could pull off a four-race feature sweep with 24-1 shot Green Mel, especially when that one made a break early. However, the race was a bizarre one, with heavy favourite Daiquiri Hanover (Tyler Buter) appearing ready to go to the front on the far turn but then misstepping, taking 78 per cent of the win pool with him. Green Mel was rallied by Beckwith and did come back to get second, where he stayed after a brief inquiry. The horse who won may be the strangest story of all: the Kadabra-P L Indyanaca gelding P L Quinella, driven by Anthony Napolitano for trainer Anthony Faulkner and owner Jaypaul Hoover. He had worked out a pocket journey, got a second life after the favourite jumped, and was able to rally for the tally in a new mark of 1:53.2.
And he paid $65 to win -- which is actually the lowest price he’s paid in winning each of his last three starts at Pocono; he returned $81.60 on Aug. 19, and a week later he won again at $66. Shipping to Tioga but not finding success, P L Quinella returned to the mountain oval Saturday and again blew up the board. The three bomber prices puts the horse top of the equine list; driver Anthony Napolitano has nine $50+ payoffs (no other driver has more than four), and trainer Faulkner now ties Darren Taneyhill with three upsetters. The High 5 wager horses were, in order, 31-1, 24-1, 30-1, 13-1 (he was the second choice), and 22-1; yes, there will be a carryover into the next High 5 pool.
Pocono’s action will continue with Monday and Tuesday cards beginning at 1 p.m. In addition to the last-race High 5 carryover mentioned above, the Monday card will offer the Pick 5 in the fifth race, having a double carryover for bettors to aim for, along with a carryover into the first-race Superfecta.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of Spring Inhis Step A winning on Sept. 20)