Wilkes-Barre, PA — Cigar Smoking Tony, Think Of Galaxies and Ghostintheshell S won their respective $17,000 featured events for up-and-coming horses on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 28) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Cigar Smoking Tony, between rivals, beat out Mikibytheseaside and Red Power to win Tuesday’s featured male pace at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

In the male pace, Cigar Smoking Tony was used hard past the quarter to get the lead, then let favored Red Power go to the lead with a lap to go. Cigar Smoking Tony stayed in the two-hole until the stretch, and then used the Pocono Pike to go to command mid-stretch before resisting a late bid by Mikibytheseaside to win by a nose in 1:50.4 over a “good” track. Marcus Miller drove the 11-1 Art Major gelding to a new lifetime mark for trainer Jose Godinez and owners Joseph Betro, Ian Behar and Kristie Leigh Farm Inc.

The So Surreal sophomore filly Think Of Galaxies looked in trouble as they turned for home in her race, buried third inside without a clear lane appearing likely. But the first-over horse faded just enough in mid-stretch that driver Mark MacDonald could swing his filly to the outside, and she finished with a ground-gobbling burst that got her three-quarters of a length clear of Alleyesonme AS in 1:53. The John McDermott trainee saw her lifetime bankroll grow to $199,000 for Jonathan Klee Racing and Peter Kleinhans.

Ghostintheshell S, who was thought of so highly upon importation from Europe that she started her North American career in the Miss Versatility series, returned to the races after a two-month layoff. The From Above mare was prepared for her best by master trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt, coming home in 1:53.2 for Knutsson Trotting Inc.

George Napolitano Jr., less than $300,000 away from $100 million in lifetime purses won, took four races on the afternoon card as he approaches his 10th consecutive driving title at Pocono.

Starting with the next card at The Downs, Saturday (Oct. 2), Pocono shifts to its October schedule of racing on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons, with a first post of 12:30 p.m., up to the end of the 2021 meet on Oct. 30. Program pages will be available at the PHHA website.