Wilkes-Barre, PA — Favorites won both divisions of the $11,000 claiming handicap trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday (Sept. 9), and their times were within one-fifth of a second of each other – but a pair of bombers who returned in excess of $50 provided some diversity during the afternoon’s proceedings.
The quicker of the feature winners was the Muscle Hill gelding Gaelihill, who controlled the pace then stepped home in :57 to hold off the onrushing Boom Boom Bay by a head in 1:55.3 under the guidance of George Napolitano Jr., who led all Pocono drivers with three victories on the day.
Gaelihill has been quite the center of claiming activity. After winning two of three starts for trainer Dean Eckley, the trotter changed hands via claim to Flying A Racing Stable and then was claimed right back by Eckley and partner William Hartt for this victory. The owners won $5,500 today before Gaelihill was again claimed by Flying A out of this race.
The 1:55.4 divisional feature winner was the Muscle Mass gelding Dart Guy, who has had to go the hard uncovered route in his last two races, but both have resulted in victories for driver Anthony Napolitano and trainer Marta Piotrow, who also owns the horse under the Piotrow Racing LLC banner. Dart Guy was a 1-1/2-length winner over Its A Horse on Tuesday.
The first of the mutuel bombers was Real Lucky N, who, in his first start in almost four months, circled up on the far turn and got by favored San Domino A in 1:53 to pay $73.60 to win. The brothers Napolitano played large roles in this long shot’s winning: many-time Pocono champion George Napolitano Jr. got his first $50 score of the season after following the cover of the favored horse driven by Anthony, who leads all Pocono drivers with eight bomber victories this year.
The second upset was posted by the longest shot on the board, Prairie Nugget, who paced right to the lead while uncovered nearing the three-quarters and took a new mark of 1:56.4 for driver Simon Allard, with the tote board lighting up with a $63.80 mutuel.
Besides George Napolitano Jr., multiple driving wins on the day were recorded by Allard, Anthony Napolitano, Jim Pantaleano and Kevin Wallis. Both of Wallis’s winners are trained by Emily Bost, who had the only conditioning double.
Pocono will now take a week away from racing, during which time the track surface will be reworked. Racing at the mountain oval resumes on Saturday, Sept. 20, and there will be a carryover for players seeking to solve the Pick-5 wager, which begins in race five.