Wilkes-Barre, PA – A pair of $17,000 contests, one on each gait, for horses preparing to ascend to stakes or open company were the featured contests on the Saturday (July 19) afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The pacing division saw Jamaican Rock A, a gelded son of A Rocknroll Dance making his first North American start, get the coveted “one-and-one” trip (second-over), then swing wide in a group within three lengths of each other at headstretch and pace to a 1:50.3 victory. The Aussie import, a winner of five of eight 2025 starts, decisioned Pocono Pike challenger Iknowbetter by a length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Scott Blackler, and owner Chad Kowal.
In the featured trot, the runaway leaders in the local horsemen’s standings, driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke, combined with the Father Patrick gelding Ordained to take the big slice of the purse in 1:53. The pacesetting Ordained got a breather in the second quarter then blitzed home in :56 – :27.3 to hold off free-too-late Whiskey Lou by 1-1/4 lengths. The winner of $319,331 is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Beasty LLC, and Frank Baldachino.
A $16,500 pace for fast-class horses produced the fastest mile of the day by far as the Lazarus N gelding Endofstory said “end of story!” to his opponents early, putting fractions of :26.2, :54.3, and 1:20.4 on the timer before finishing out strongly to freeze the clock at 1:48.3, a new mark. Belmont Royale A gave chase from the pocket but wound up 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner, who was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr. and owners David Linker, Brian Loman, Robert Venable, and Kyle Warren.
The top fast-class trot on the day was a handicap event going for $12,500. The Walner gelding TNT Blue Chip gelding made two speed moves in front of leaving horses taking back after finding no early holes, set the pace the last five-eighths of the mile, and completed his success story easily in 1:53.1. Anthony Napolitano drove the winner to his second win in his last three starts for trainer Bruce Clarke; his B Clarke Racing LLC shares ownership in the winner with Patricia Waldeck.
The big winner on the day was meet-leading trainer Ron Burke, whose Pocono win total rose by three (that number being two behind the number of horses he qualified for the Adios final across the state next Saturday). Two wins in the sulky were put in by Matt Kakaley and the Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George Jr.
Many of the same 2-year-old pacing fillies who raced at Pocono last Sunday in Pennsylvania All-Stars competition are back this Sunday for the second preliminary of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action, with $232,266 on the line in three Sire Stakes sections and five Stallion Series cuts.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.