Wilkes-Barre, PA — A pair of $16,000 pacing events highlighted the Tuesday (July 4) card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

The Huntsville gelding Duval Street impressed in his debut at the mountain oval, equaling his lifetime mark of 1:50.3 in the division for males. Leading driver Matt Kakaley, who won three races on the card, directed the sophomore to the lead going past the stands ahead of Bay City and held off that rival by a length. A winner of a New York Sire Stakes last time out and three of his last four races, Duval Street is trained by Ed Hart for the ownership of Randy Bendis, Pollack Racing LLC and Reed Broadway.

Duval Street has now won three of his last four after a Tuesday victory at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

On the distaff side, the Six Of Diamonds mare Benicio, dismissed at 27-1, ground forward from sixth in early backstretch, but she inexorably kept gaining and finally wore down pacesetter Lodestar in the shadow of the wire, prevailing by a head while lowering her lifetime best to 1:51.4. Anthony Napolitano engineered the upset with the gritty miss, who paced her own last quarter in :26.4, for trainer Jake Huff and owner Kim Chiaramonte Sears.

There were also a pair of $15,500 trots for the highest-priced claiming horses at the track. In the first, Nasey, fast but occasionally fractious, today minded his manners and overcame a rough journey to tie his lifetime best of 1:54. Now a seven-time winner this year, the winning Pilgrims Chuckie gelding was driven by Simon Allard for trainer-owner Mark Akins. In the other top trot, Nicola Hanover advanced to challenge the leader nearing the three-quarters, then drew away from his field late while reducing his lifetime speed mark to 1:54.3. The altered son of Donato Hanover is on the improve now for driver Jim Pantaleano, trainer Christen Pantaleano, and owners J.R. and Colin Ryan.

Pocono currently hosts racing four days a week, with 1 p.m. cards on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and Sundays at 6 p.m. Saturday’s (July 8) card will have an $1,857.31 carryover into the Pick-5 (races 8-12); Pennsylvania All-Stars events for 2-year-olds are scheduled for this coming Monday (male pacers) and Tuesday (trotting fillies). Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available on the PHHA website.