‘King Kong’ hopes to topple Franklin foes
June 27, 2017,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Ken Weingartner
Freehold, NJ — He might not be the same beast he was in the past, but Mach It So still has a little King Kong in him.
Mach It So, a 7-year-old gelding with 36 career wins and $1.81 million in earnings, faces eight foes in Saturday’s $500,000 Ben Franklin Stakes for older male pacers at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Trained by Jeff Bamond Jr. for owner Bamond Racing, Mach It So starts from post five with driver Tim Tetrick and is 12-1 on the morning line.
“He’s kind of under the radar,” said Bamond Jr., who with his father has owned Mach It So since September 2012. “I guess I’d rather be under the radar and making $2 million than everyone talking about you and not doing anything. I’ll take it. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done.”
When Mach It So was younger, then-trainer Nifty Norman said the horse wasn’t the biggest or strongest, but thought he was King Kong. It’s a description that has stuck with Mach It So.
Lisa photo
Mach It So enters the Ben Franklin final with 36 career wins and $1.81 million in earnings.
“I always remember that quote,” Bamond said. “He doesn’t look like that much, but he kind of still has that to him, which is kind of cool. Around here, he thinks he’s the king of everything. He’s a cool horse.
“He’ll always try. He always gives you an effort. Whether he’s good enough or not, he doesn’t pack it in. He’ll always give you a shot.”
The Franklin is one of four stakes finals Saturday at Pocono, with the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. for 3-year-old trotters, $500,000 Max C. Hempt for 3-year-old male pacers and $300,000 James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old female pacers.
Ariana G, the Dan Patch Award-winning filly who is 3-for-3 this season, is the morning line favorite in the Beal as she looks to take down eight male rivals; North America Cup champion Fear The Dragon and stablemate Downbytheseaside are the top choices in the Hempt while the top four finishers in the Fan Hanover Stakes — Bettor’s Up, Agent Q, Tequila Monday and Idyllic Beach — are ready for a rematch in the Lynch.
Mel Mara, who is a nose from being undefeated this year in four starts, is the 5-2 morning line choice in the Franklin. Mel Mara, Keystone Velocity and Dealt A Winner were elimination winners last weekend.
Mach It So finished third in the elimination won by Keystone Velocity, but was beaten by only a half-length.
“I thought he raced well,” Bamond said. “He drew good for the final. He’s kind of a trip horse; I don’t think he’s going to cut the mile and win. Right in the middle, it seems like you can do whatever you want. It’ll be an interesting race.
“These finals sometimes get crazy. Hopefully they mix it up a little bit.”
Mach It So’s biggest career victory came in the 2015 William R. Haughton Memorial, where he defeated a field that included Foiled Again and State Treasurer. He also won the 2015 Bobby Quillen Memorial and finished second in the 2016 Quillen, behind Wiggle It Jiggleit. He was second in both the 2015 and 2016 TVG Free For All Series championships, losing last year to Always B Miki, and was third in the 2015 Breeders Crown.
This season Mach It So has won two of 11 races and hit the board a total of seven times, with his two victories coming in his last four starts.
“I think it took him a little bit longer to get going than he normally does, but I think he’s getting good at the right time,” Bamond said. “Hopefully Saturday is the best time.”
Racing at Pocono begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The night’s stakes finals are races nine through 12. Following is the field for the Ben Franklin, which is race 11. For the complete card, click here.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Keystone Velocity-Simon Allard-Rene Allard-3/1
2-Mel Mara-Corey Callahan-Dylan Davis-5/2
3-All Bets Off-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-4/1
4-Rockin Ron-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-6/1
5-Mach It So-Tim Tetrick-Jeff Bamond Jr.-12/1
6-Rock N’ Roll World-Brian Sears-Jeff Cullipher-20/1
7-Dealt A Winner-David Miller-Mark Silva-5/1
8-Boston Red Rocks-Brett Miller-Steve Elliott-10/1
9-Shamballa-Scott Zeron-Rick Zeron-15/1
- Mel Mara aspires to Franklin glory (Friday, June 23, 2017)
He is a world champion and one of the few horses to possess the distinction of besting Always B Miki and Sweet Lou, yet Mel Mara has not visited the winner’s circle for a stakes race since he captured the 2012 edition of the Ontario Sire Stakes Gold final at Flamboro Downs over that year’s Little Brown Jug winner Michael’s Power. His connections are hoping this is the year the 8-year-old stallion collects his fair share of hardware beginning with a victory in his $35,000 Ben Franklin elimination on Saturday (June 24) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
- Ariana G, Mel Mara, Downbytheseaside wow at Pocono (Saturday, June 24, 2017)
Ariana G, Mel Mara, and Downbytheseaside were impressive in victories in the Sun Super Stakes eliminations Saturday (June 24) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in a night with a healthy dose of favorites and a sprinkling of longshots as victors. Each of next week’s (July 1) championship events on the $2 million Sun Stakes Saturday card – the $500,000 Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace, the $500,000 Earl Beal 3-Year-Old Trot, the $500,000 Max C. Hempt 3-Year-Old Colt Pace, and the $300,000 James Lynch 3-Year-Old Filly Pace – had enough entrants to necessitate three elimination divisions on this Saturday’s (June 24) card, with the top three finishers returning in seven days for their respective championship event.
- Posts drawn for Sun Stakes (Monday, June 26, 2017)
The post positions have been drawn for the Sun Stakes finals at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The Saturday (July 1) championship events on the $2 million Sun Stakes card are the $500,000 Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace, the $500,000 Earl Beal 3-year-old trot, the $500,000 Max C. Hempt 3-year-old colt pace, and the $300,000 James Lynch 3-year-old filly pace.
- Update on Sun Stakes Saturday finals (Tuesday, June 27, 2017)
The fields for the four rich championship races to be held during this weekend’s $2,169,500 Sun Stakes Saturday card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, have been updated with final driver assignments and morning line odds.
- Sun Stakes finals top Grand Circuit schedule (Wednesday, June 28, 2017)
The Grand Circuit spotlight will once again be on The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono this Saturday night (July 1) as the track will host four lucrative stakes finals in the $500,000 Ben Franklin for older pacers, the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters, the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial for 3-year-old male pacers and the $300,000 James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old filly pacers.
- Ariana G aims to be Beal’s first female champ (Wednesday, June 28, 2017)
Ariana G starts Saturday’s $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters from an unfavorable spot, but trainer Jimmy Takter is confident the filly can step up and defeat eight male rivals in one of the season’s few remaining preps for August’s Hambletonian Stakes.
- Brazuca wakes up for Cancelliere (Thursday, June 29, 2017)
Brazuca is a quiet filly around the stable, but she is capable of making noise on the racetrack. Unbeaten in three races this year, Brazuca heads to Saturday’s $300,000 James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old female pacers at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono off a 1:52.3 win in her elimination last weekend. She starts the final from post No. 5 with Corey Callahan driving for trainer Tom Cancelliere and is 5-1 on the morning line.
- Hempt elimination victory not shocking to owners of Santafe’s Coach (Friday, June 30, 2017)
When Santafe’s Coach strode into the winner’s circle at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday (June 24) after his triumph at odds of 21-1 in his $25,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial elimination, quite the contingent was there to greet him. Although the public did not appreciate the 3-year-old colt’s chances to have his picture taken, his connections were not surprised they were exactly in that very position and hope to repeat that experience on Saturday (July 1) after the $500,000 final.