Wilkes-Barre, PA — The 3-year-old Bar Hopping filly Bay Breeze Hanover turned in the race of her life in Tuesday’s (Oct. 7) $15,500 featured trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, overcoming a hard trip while posting a lifetime best of 1:54.3.
Favored Bay Breeze Hanover looked to have her task simplified a bit when rivals Craigieburn and Rothko made early miscues. But two other rivals, Checkmate Hall and Vanguard, made life difficult for the filly in the first half as Checkmate Hall (post 3) kept Bay Breeze Hanover (post 4) two-wide and Vanguard (post 5) three-wide well past a :27 opening quarter. The favorite finally cleared to the lead in front of the stands, with Checkmate Hall then behind her and Vanguard left out in the air, and he retreated from the battle past a :55.4 half.
Ballroom Bash stayed connected behind the early duel and moved outside towards the 1:25 three-quarters, but by that point Bay Breeze Hanover started to leave the field far in her wake – her final win margin was 10 lengths over Ballroom Bash, who in turn finished three lengths of ahead of Checkmate Hall.
Bay Breeze Hanover went over the six-figure mark in lifetime earnings despite this being only her fourth career win. Michael Seddon, who became the winner’s new trainer in her previous start, joined with driver Tyler Buter and owner Nick Shaw in the success.
The parade of Pocono long shots continued on Tuesday, as Braxten Boyd brought home River Of Denile at a $65.60 mutuel. If you like to bet long shots, “the form” says do so on a Pocono race numbering in the double digits (the track usually has 14 or 15 races): 16 of the 44 winners at 24-1 or longer this year have been in the later races, including four of the last seven.
Driving triples were recorded by Boyd, Buter, and Anthony Napolitano, who tripled for the second consecutive card. Two of the wins for Buter, the track’s leading driver, came for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke.
Racing at Pocono resumes on Saturday (Oct. 11) at 1 p.m., with a $27,500 pace for top fast-class horses who can threaten 1:50 under good conditions spotlighted. Monday (Oct. 13), at 1 p.m., there will be $200,000 at stake in the eight Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships; the racing week will then close out with a 1 p.m. program Tuesday (Oct. 14). Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.