Pembroke Wildcat, who was second to Ideal Kiss last week in his return to owner-trainer Brittany Robertson after a $30,000 claim, turned the tables on his rival in the $20,000 claiming handicap pacing feature Saturday, Sept. 22 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking advantage of a perfect trip to tally in 1:50.
Ideal Kiss, going for his fifth-straight victory in this company, made the lead despite the outside post nine in :28.1 but then quickened the pace to hold off challenger Pickled Preacher.
While those two fought on the lead, Pembroke Wildcat tagged along in the pocket for driver Anthony Napolitano and, in the stretch, the victorious gelded son of Western Maverick proved the strongest by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Pembroke Wildcat now sports career earnings of $336,227, and the 1:50 time gave the six-year-old a new mark.
In the $17,500 conditioned pace co-feature, the pocket also proved to provide the winning journey as Sir Pugsley came on late to post a 1:50.3 victory. Driver Pat Berry hustled the son of American Ideal to command before the :27.1 quarter but Feeling Cam Lucky was out and clambering for the front by that point. Berry let him go to sit behind fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.4. In the stretch, Sir Pugsley had more pace left than the pacesetter, going by by a neck for trainer Ron Burke and the team of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
(PHHA)