Great Northeast Open Series action for aged performers will continue this Sunday (May 13) at Harrah’s Philadelphia and The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
A pair of $30,000 divisions of the open pace will take place at Harrah’s Philadelphia in the afternoon, while open trotters and filly and mare pacers will each contest a single division for the same bounty during a nighttime card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
In the first of the two open paces at ‘Philly,’ Feeling Cam Lucky (PP7, George Napolitano Jr.) will take a very big step up in class. He will pursue his fourth consecutive victory. He will head into the Sunday assignment off of a 1:49.4 victory in his last start. Mel Mara (PP1, Corey Callahan), a 1:47 pacer that will be making his seasonal bow, and Down Under star Christen Me N (PP8, Tim Tetrick) should provide strong competition.
George Napolitano Jr. will come right back from Post 7 in the other Philly open pace with Rodeo Romeo, who in the series first leg paced the fastest mile of the year at Pocono Downs, 1:49.2 for his third win in his most recent four starts. An interesting newcomer is Heaven Rocks A (PP4, David Miller), who raced the very best horses in Australasia over the winter (which is their summer). He will be making his North American debut.
Up at Pocono, the open trotters will parade trackward first, with the winner of the first leg at Philly, Rubber Duck (PP6, Joe Bongiorno), looking to make it two straight. His biggest threat may be just inside him in Will Take Charge (PP5, Tim Tetrick), a streaking Canadian who came within a neck of 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover at the Meadowlands Racetrack last week.
Making her 2018 bow in the mares pace is five-year-old Pure Country (PP6, Mark MacDonald), who will be returning to the track after her unprecedented sweep of her division’s titles at ages two, three, and four. She’ll have to be on her game to defeat Nike Franco N (PP3, Tim Tetrick), who figures to be better this time around after having finished third in her seasonal bow last week.
The Great Northeast Open Series, co-sponsored by the two host tracks and the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, will be featuring $30,000 races for these three classes throughout the summer, with participants earning points in hopes of making their respective $100,000 championships at Pocono on Sunday, September 2.
(PHHA / The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono / Harrah’s Philadelphia)