Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Game Of Claims Series lived on during the Monday (March 8) afternoon card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono – it just shifted gaits to the trot, where four fields of $15,000-base-priced horses raced $15,000 divisions in their first preliminary leg.

Explosive Magic was a 1:55.4 winner. Curtis Salonick photo.

While the gait shifted, other recent aspects of the Game Of Claims series remained firmly in place. The Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George Jr., each drove two of the four series winners, and each handled a horse who divided honors for fastest split at 1:55.4. And there were plenty of claims out of the initial trot gathering as well – 15 of the 29 entrants left the Pocono paddock to head back to new barns, including all four winners.

The quickest first prelim winners were the Lucky Chucky gelding Namje, who was powerful from a pocket trip, by George, to win by 5-3/4 lengths after coming in from Saratoga, and the Explosive Matter gelding Explosive Magic, who made an early pace controlling move for Anthony en-route to a five length decision. The other Game Of Claims winners were Credit Fraud, a Jailhouse Jesse mare who grinded to a 1:56.4 victory for Anthony, and the Muscle Mass gelding Broadway Bruiser, hone in 1:57.4 with George doing the sulky sitting.

For the day, “Anthony Nap” crossed the wire first six times, George four, putting Anthony ahead of his brother 29-26 after ten cards of racing at The Downs in 2021.

The frenzied claiming box activity for the Game Of Claims trotters raised the total of horses haltered during the week to 27, with $437,500 paid out; for the meet, there have already been 153 claims put through, with $2,770,875 changing hands. There is likely to be much more claiming activity the next two weeks, especially among the series trotters, as everyone tries to have a sharp horse to enter in the $30,000 Championship on Monday, March 29th.