Wilkes-Barre, PA – A pair of $17,000 races for developing horses headed the Saturday card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with Rio winning the top pace and Tenforthebigguy victorious in the featured trot.
Rio closed well after an argued early pace (:26.2, :53.3, 1:21.1) to catch the leading Lou’s Starr by half a length in the lead pacing contest, taking a new mark of 1:49. Braxten Boyd engineered an 11-1 upset with the Sweet Lou gelding, who is trained by Tee Wine for owner Jack Piatt III.
The Southwind Frank gelding Tenforthebigguy sat in the two-hole behind Kinnder Thinktwice and fractions of :28, :57.3, and 1:25, then moved out in the lane and caught the pacesetter by a half-length, with the final time of 1:54 just a tick off his mark. George Napolitano Jr. had the sulky duty behind the favorite for trainer Scot Davidson and owner Randy’s Lawn Care.
The top fast-class pace, going for $16,500, also went to a pocket rocket, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding South Beach Star, who sat in closest proximity to the favored pacesetter Hazeville’s fractions of :26.1, :54, and 1:20.4, then outpaced the leader home by a length while equaling his mark of 1:48.1. The winner, now successful in four of his last six races, was driven by Braxten Boyd (another longshot winner for Boyd, this one at 9-1) for trainer Mark Silva and owner All Star Racing Inc. (A third sub-1:50 was turned in on the card by 1:49.1 winner Rockin Jukebox.)
Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, brought home three winners to lead the driving colony; Braxten Boyd, George Napolitano Jr., and Ridge Warren each steered two winners. Saturday’s 12 winners were conditioned by 12 different trainers.
Pocono will be racing on Sunday at 6 p.m. (EDT), when there will be a carryover into the last race High 5 pool, and then stage Monday and Tuesday programs at 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.