Wilkes-Barre, PA — Carabao A won his fourth race in his last six starts, taking a new mark of 1:48.2 in Tuesday’s (Aug. 27) $17,000 featured pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Tyler Buter got the American Ideal gelding away third as Endofstory streaked to command early and put up hot fractions of :26.3, :54.4 and 1:21.2 without anybody charging at him. In fact, it was Carabao A who was first to move out to engage the pacesetter late in the backstretch, and the Australian import had better pace than Endofstory in the lane, turning him back by a length for trainer Lance Hudson, who shares ownership with William Hartt.
There were three divisions of a $15,000 sub-feature class, one for either sex on the pace and one on the trot. The pacing males got the card off to a quick start with a 1:49.3 lifetime best from the gelding Forward Look, who made the lead past the midpoint of the first turn and held command the rest of the way, defeating pocket sitter Yankee Clout by a neck under the guidance of Matt Kakaley.
The distaff co-feature pacers made up the second half of the early double, and sweeping the two races were trainer Nicholas DeVita, sire Huntsville, and the partnership of David Hamm, Christopher Giaccio and Glenn Phillips, with the mare Linemup Knockmback ready after a five-week absence to earn a new speed badge of 1:51. The Pocono Pike was the avenue for Linemup Knockmback and driver George Napolitano Jr. to win by 1-1/2 lengths over favorite Gentrify, who recovered from a brief early misstep.
The trotting section of this class for developing horses also saw a new mark taken, as Tequini Hanover overcame post eight to win in 1:54.2. The Bar Hopping filly certainly did not have an easy trip after starting from the far outside, but she showed grittiness to withstand Loranga by a half length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Lucas Wallin, and the partnership of Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Wiesman Farms LLC and Pieter Delis.
Anthony Napolitano won the last race of the day to top the drivers’ colony with three visits to the winner’s circle.
Pocono is now on its late summer/fall schedule of 1 p.m. racing on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.