Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Beaudenblues N picked up his first U.S. victory in the $15,000 pacing section of Tuesday afternoon’s (Aug. 20) featured class at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania while trotter Bourbon Courage got back into the win column after an absence of almost two years.
The Beaudenblues N, a Betterthancheddar gelding trained by José Godinez for Godinez Racing Stable LLC and Jhonatan Garcia Guia, worked hard to a :27.1 quarter to get by favored Hard To Catch, then yielded to the homestretch brush of Forward Look, who put up the middle splits of :55.3 and 1:23.1. Hard To Catch was on the move again on the far turn, but driver Anthony Napolitano was able to summon the needed rally in the Pocono Pike as Thebeaudenblues N surged past Forward Look by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.2.
Bourbon Courage, a son of You Know You Do who was a stakes winner in Indiana and Kentucky at 2 but had not been able to regain that form, showed powerful strides in taking the diamond-gaited feature in 1:54.4. Ridge Warren raced Bourbon Courage just off of fractions of :28.2, :56.2 and 1:25.1, then moved out to sweep to the lead nearing head-stretch and drew off by two lengths over Creedmore. Erv Miller trains the resurgent trotter for Doug Overhiser, D & M Trading II LLC and Anthony Lombardi.
Anthony Napolitano also won both ends of the late double to make him the leading driver on the day with four victories.
Racing at Pocono resumes on Saturday (Aug. 24) at 1 p.m., with the feature a $22,000 pace for Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-old colt pacers. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.