Wilkes-Barre, PA — It was a bit misty and the temperatures dropped considerably for the AHDC amateur trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday (July 18).

Unfortunately for the even money post time favorite Clarion Hall, with Joe Pennacchio driving, the temperature wasn’t the only thing that cooled off. The big gelding’s streak of three wins in a row, including the AHDC race last week, came to a crashing halt.

Clarion Hall did leave the gate as he has in weeks past, but Lucky June Bug and Bob Krivelin made him work pretty hard to get the top this week. Pennacchio was able rate a :30.3 second quarter which jammed up the field a bit.

With the trotters in tight quarters, Big Nudge, guided by Tony Verruso, who was running up on French Moni and Paul Minore, pulled first up from fourth and steadily gained on the leader. Midway up the backstretch, Verruso urged his horse as he saw Clarion Hall was not as sharp as the previous week and cleared to the front heading into the last turn.

Lucky June Bug slid out behind him but could not muster a late bid and just held off a strong closing Silvermass Volo and Maria de Bruijn for second.

For the winner Big Nudge, trained by Symon Spicer, it was his first win of the year in nine tries, returning $10.60 to win, and trotting an impressive mile in 1:55.3.

It was Tony Verruso’s 11th win of the year and 25th race hitting the board in 33 starts for a UDR of .522.