Vorst was best in the $14,000 featured pace during the Sunday (Sept. 27) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, springing a 16-1 upset while equaling her lifetime mark of 1:51.3.
Its Mesmerise N made two moves to control the pace while posting early fractions of :26.4 and :56, with favoured Eclipse Me N going first-over tracked by Vorst. There was a :27 major-league duel in the third quarter with Vorst gapping her cover a bit. But Vorst soon rallied steadily while wide in the stretch and caught Eclipse Me N by a head, with six of the seven entrants within a length at the wire and the other beaten only two lengths. Marcus Miller, a three-time winner on the card, drove Vorst for owner-trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera.
Among the four $12,000 co-features, there was a notable stretch duel between Nicholas Beach and Tito Rocks, where Nicholas Beach set the pace and then held off the charging pocketsitter by a nose in 1:50.1. The four-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding, who won one of two starts at two then missed all of his three-year-old season, is undefeated in six seasonal outings, with co-owner Brian Sears coming to Pocono to guide the talented pacer for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno.
Also impressive in the quad-sub-features was the Kadabra sophomore filly P L Notsonice, who tucked early from her outside post, then came first-over and powered home in :55.2 to easily put away favoured pacesetter Solar in 1:54. An Ontario Gold Sire Stakes winner at Rideau Carleton in 1:52.4 earlier this year, P L Notsonice is a tough customer when minding her manners for trainer Joe Skowyra and owner-driver Renaldo Morales III.
Joining Marcus Miller as a three-time winner on the Sunday program was George Napolitano Jr., who arrived midcard after driving at Philly for most of the afternoon (Miller also participated early in the Philly card). Napolitano’s three-bagger gives him nine at Pocono this weekend after his six Saturday afternoon, and twelve overall for Saturday-Sunday (he added a win at The Meadowlands on Saturday and two at Philly on Sunday).
When racing resumes at Pocono tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. (EDT), there will be a $227,633.67 carryover for the Rainbow Pick-5 bet, which requires a unique ticket containing the winner of the last five races for the big payoff.
(PHHA/Pocono)