Three $20,270 featured events topped the bill of fare at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday (Sept. 3) afternoon.
Two of the headliners were for up-and-coming class-climbers, one for trotters and the other for pacing distaffs.
After nine straight favourites failed to deliver, the Readly Express sophomore gelding Edvard Palema S restored some order with the easiest of victories in 1:55.2 in the trot for developing horses, his second straight success,. Sarah Svanstedt, sulkysitting for trainer Åke Svanstedt, whose Åke Svanstedt Inc. is co-owner with Bender Sweden Inc. and Flygind Gaard Inc., brushed the talented youngster to the lead towards the half and kept control the rest of the way, with Edward Palema S storming home in :28.2 to be four lengths to the good of Loranga.
In the pacing event for females, the Captaintreacherous three-year-old Bellucci, a $200,000 yearling who did not race at two, now has won four of her last six starts after lowering her mark to 1:52 on Tuesday. Driver Anthony Napolitano could wait until late on the backstretch to move the filly outside and challenge, and she methodically made up the distance to win by a length over Fight Not Flight for trainer Joe Bongiorno and the ownership of One Legend Stable Inc. and Howard Taylor.
The other feature was for high-priced claiming trotters, taken by the Il Sogno Dream mare I Da Princess in 1:55.4. I Da Princess got underway last upon coming back to Pocono from Tioga, but Jim Pantaleano hustled her up and got a very good second-over trip. Her cover, Allsummerlong AS, swept to the lead in the lane, but I Da Princess had the better kick late and won by 1-1/4 lengths. Kevin Reynolds Jr. trains the winner and co-owns her with Kevin Reynolds.
Braxten Boyd visited Victory Lane three times to top all drivers on the afternoon.
Racing at Pocono is currently conducted on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 1 p.m; the next card at the mountain oval, on Saturday, will have a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Next Monday (Sept. 9) Pocono will be proud to host the $1.2 million USD Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship card for the Keystone State’s best three-year-olds, with $252,000 USD Championships for each combination of gait and sex complemented by $50,000 USD consolation races. A separate release on the Sire Stakes Championship card will be distributed shortly if not yet available.
(PHHA / Pocono)